In February, the U.S. Census Bureau released its homeownership report which indicated that 2019, like the four years that came before it, was a positive year for Hispanic homeownership. Hispanics have been driving homeownership growth in America for more than
[PULSE] What is a negative interest rate and how does it work?
Despite the Federal Reserve chairman’s aversion, negative rates increasingly possible, but not negative mortgage rates – yet. With central banks lowering interest rates to all-time lows, investors flooding into safe investments driving prices up (and yields down), and the need
Under fire, Carson says HUD will allow DACA recipients to get FHA mortgages
Ben Carson, secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, told Congress on Tuesday that he supported Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival recipients being eligible for mortgages backed by the Federal Housing Administration. Carson initially denied in his testimony
Fed pledges to maintain current pace of MBS purchases
The Federal Reserve pledged on Wednesday to keep buying Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities to the tune of about $120 billion a month. There had been concern among economists about the Fed’s announcement at the end of April that it was
Interfirst Mortgage returns to originations after three-year hiatus
Interfirst Mortgage Co. has relaunched operations after a three-year hiatus with a two-pronged strategy featuring a new proprietary loan origination technology platform and a retooled business model incorporating both a wholesale platform and a new consumer-direct retail platform. Interfirst was
Assurant survey: 38% of renters will need relief in the next 90 days
Renters continue to feel the economic effects of the COIVD-19 pandemic and resulting job losses. Thirty-eight percent of renters in Assurant‘s MultiFamily Housing Renters Perspective Study said that they will need rent relief help during the next 90 days, and
Julie Schendel, SVP at Wells Fargo, to speak at engage.marketing tomorrow
As technology continues to develop and adapt, marketers have to be one step ahead of those changes to ensure the right message makes it into the right hands before the competition. That’s why we’ve invited Julie Schendel, senior vice president
Here’s how much unemployed service-sector employees owe in housing payments, despite benefits
Service-sector employees in the U.S. who are currently receiving unemployment benefits due to COVID-19, owe more than $1.7 billion in rent and mortgage payments each month, according to a report from Zillow. The latest unemployment data, released last week, shows
Mortgage applications jump 13%
Applications for purchase mortgages gained for the eighth consecutive week to a level that was 13% higher than a year ago as states continue to reopen across the country according to a report by the Mortgage Bankers Association. A seasonally
Americans’ anxiety about bills dropped in May, Fed survey shows
Americans worried less about paying bills in May as the economy began reopening with new safety measures aimed at stopping the spread of COVID-19. About 12.6% of people worried they wouldn’t be able to make minimum debt payments in May,
Looking for a bargain? There’s still time to find houses that are “pandemic priced”
Home prices are responding to buyer demand in many parts of the country, but that doesn’t mean homebuyers can’t still find a bargain, especially for more expensive homes. According to the latest COVID-19 report from Weiss Analytics, thousands of home
Zillow Offers resumes buying in 6 more markets, noting traffic to for-sale listings is up 51% from a year ago
On Tuesday, iBuyer Zillow Offers resumed buying homes in six more markets, bringing the total number of re-opened markets to 15. The company paused its iBuying in 24 markets on March 23 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning Tuesday, iBuying
Is there evidence of a Silver Tsunami home price crash?
The Silver Tsunami home price crash thesis was introduced in 2008 when the first baby boomers started turning 62 years old. Now, more than a decade later, those first baby boomers are turning 74, and this thesis is reemerging as
Searching for a virtual summer camp? The Federal Reserve banks have you covered
For many parents, working remote has included wrangling kids who converted to distance learning in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, as students transition to summer, parents are relieved of the duty to oversee schoolwork, but since many traditional
TCPA ruling by appeals court blocks some debt calls
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco issued a ruling last week making it harder for lenders to contact borrowers in arrears. It also made life a bit easier for people who have new cell
Share of mortgages in forbearance rises to 8.5%
Almost 4.3 million mortgages were in forbearance during May’s final week, representing 8.53% of outstanding home loans, the Mortgage Bankers Association said on Monday. The numbers increased from 4.2 million mortgages in the prior week, which accounted for an 8.46%
Renters say they are less likely to renew lease after pandemic
Homeowners isolated because of the coronavirus pandemic are seeking more space away from the city, and renters are feeling the same way. And despite stimulus checks, the paycheck protection program and other government resources, nearly 61% of households in the
It’s time to nominate your 2020 HousingWire Insiders
The HousingWire Insiders program is now accepting nominations, and we want to see your operational superstars! The HW Insiders Award program recognizes your organization’s operational all-stars — those insiders that are your company’s best-kept secret, yet vital to success. They
MBA announces appointment of Michael Briggs as SVP and general counsel
The Mortgage Bankers Association has announced its appointment of Michael Briggs as senior vice president and general counsel. Prior to his appointment at the MBA, Briggs was the assistant general counsel for the consumer law section at the Federal Deposit
Eric Simon, the Broke Agent, to speak at engage.marketing
The HW+ community is supposed to be a place of support and collaboration, so I am going to start with some honesty here. This article started out with this… And I am really hoping I am not alone! Surprisingly, the
Here’s evidence of V-shaped recovery
Purchase applications were up 18% compared to the same time last year and up 6% from a week ago. This gives us two back-to-back weeks of positive year-over-year prints for purchase applications in the final weeks of the typical housing market
Putting words into action: California brokerage cuts ties with Facebook over values
Independent California brokerage, Ashby & Graff Real Estate, pressed pause on its five-figure Facebook ad budget in January 2019. Recently, Ashby & Graff got rid of its Facebook business page entirely. The brokerage released a statement on Monday in response
Mortgage forbearances fall for the first time
The number of mortgages in forbearance declined this week for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Black Knight said in a report on Friday. The number dropped to 4.73 million from 4.76 million in the prior
People movers: Realtor.com, ServiceLink and WFG Lender Services
Realtor.com has promoted its Senior Vice President of Product, Rachel Morley, to chief product officer. With over two decades of experience in the industry, Morley held multiple positions at REA Group, which operates property websites domestically and throughout Asia, including
