As the mortgage industry continues to navigate record-low interest rates in the midst of a pandemic, many companies are seeing tech opportunities, and rising up to modernize outdated processes in order to keep up with demand. “For [mortgage servicers and
What you need to know about refinancing your home
With mortgage rates at historic lows, it’s not surprising so many people are looking to refinance their home. Is such a move right for you? Here are a few things you need to know. Several refinancing options Many homeowners seek
Seemingly Invincible, the Housing Market Posts More Strong Gains—Pending Sales Up 20%, Prices up 11%
Key takeaways for the 4-week period ending August 23: New listings of homes for sale were up 4% from a year ago—the largest increase since the four-week period ending March 15—but active listings continued to fall, down 28% from 2019.
11 Tips to Win a Bidding War on a House
You’ve been house hunting for weeks, possibly months, and now you’ve finally found a beautiful home that would be just perfect for your family. Already familiar with how to make an offer on a house, you submit what you believe
Colorado Springs Real Estate Market & Investment Overview 2020
The Colorado Springs housing market continues to break all the records even when the COVID pandemic has not ended. The real estate market has reached record high prices with a lack of homes for sale. The Colorado Springs real estate
Regain Your Garage: Simple Tricks for Getting Organized
If your house is bursting at the seams, or simply short on storage options, the solution may be as close as your garage. To make the best use of this space, however, you first need to corral its current chaos.
Tiny Tasks to Help De-clutter
When was the last time you smiled with pride upon opening a cleaned-up junk drawer or closet? If you can’t recall ever having this feeling, it’s time to hit these hot spots! And you don’t need all weekend to make some progress.“Mini tasks make a big difference—like the ones you can accomplish during a TV commercial […]
The post Tiny Tasks to Help De-clutter appeared first on Signature Real Estate Services.
The Typical Home Pending Sale Is 3.7% Bigger Than Last Year, Sales of Large Homes Up 21% as People Seek More Space Amid Pandemic
But prices of small homes were up 8.1% year over year in July, compared with 6.7% for large homes, reflecting the continuing importance of affordability for homebuyers. The typical home that sold in the four weeks ending August 16 was
What Fixes are Mandatory After a Home Inspection?
A savvy homebuyer will schedule a home inspection for any home they’re serious about buying. After all, who wants to find out after moving into their dream home that the furnace is on the fritz or that termites have taken
Biden’s $15,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit explained
Former Vice President Joe Biden has proposed a $15,000 tax credit to help first-time homebuyers purchase a property. As is typical for campaign proposals from either party, the details remain to be fleshed out. And before any tax credit would
Q&A: 2020 HW Insider winner Dean Kirchen on the top servicing trends to watch
In honor of the 2020 HW Insiders list that was announced on Monday exclusively for HW+ members, HousingWire interviewed Dean Kirchen, senior vice president of WFG Default Services at WFG National Title Insurance Company, to get his insight on the
Realtor.com now discloses flood risks – Here’s why its competitors won’t
The Zillow listing for 3913 Pirates Beach Circle in Galveston, Texas highlights the “incredible water views of Marina Boulevard Lake,” and praises the home’s recently remodeled kitchen and original hardwood floors. For just $244,000, the waterfront home is “a must
Adverse-market fee was a “shock,” mortgage brokers say
It was almost midnight on Aug. 12, when Matt Rasetta received a text message from one of his loan officers: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac had just announced a 0.5% adverse-market fee. The owner of Superior Rate Mortgage of New
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will keep buying loans in forbearance through Sept. 30
The Federal Housing Finance Agency announced on Wednesday that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would continue to buy qualified loans in forbearance until Sept. 30, extending the previous deadline of Aug. 31. The GSEs will also extend other loan flexibilities
Fannie and Freddie: Borrowers and servicers have options as natural disasters rage on
As the nation grapples with the effects of an ongoing pandemic, Mother Nature has shown little mercy as wildfires have been burning in parts of Northern California since last week and residents of the Gulf Coast face evacuation orders with
MAXEX becomes direct seller to Fannie Mae, expands loan programs
MAXEX, which last month re-introduced its Jumbo Express loan program, announced today that it is has been approved as a direct seller to Fannie Mae and is expanding its conforming loan program. MAXEX’s Chairman and CEO Tom Pearce announced the
The case against a foreclosure tsunami
Under normal circumstances, the disastrous economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic would lead us to expect a massive wave of foreclosures. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the country entered a recession and the GDP is expected to fall by
Hurricane Laura the latest blow to residents of one HUD-subsidized community in Galveston
As fires and a hurricane threaten communities across the U.S. this week, residents of low-income housing are at an especially high risk of financial and other loss resulting from the natural disasters, the Urban Institute has shown. For one community
Seattle Real Estate Market & Investment Overview 2020
Despite the economic downturn and disruptions stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, the Seattle housing prices are keeping strong and steady. The Seattle real estate market showed a lot of resilience and is poised to recover the decline in sales, especially
[PULSE] Growing a housing startup during a pandemic and recession
In January, our team at Knox Financial felt like we had the wind at our backs. Knox was approaching its first full year in business, and every month more homeowners and landlords were putting their properties onto our platform that
GSE risk-fee rush, then delay, reveals election pressure
The last two times Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac instituted an adverse-market fee to compensate for a riskier lending environment, during the run-up to the financial crisis more than a dozen years ago, lenders got plenty of warning. The announcements
Mortgage applications fall 6.5% as rates hover around 3%
Despite mortgage rates that continue to hover around 3%, mortgage applications fell 6.5% last week, according to a report from the Mortgage Bankers Associations. As the industry continued its dialogue regarding the proposed refinance fee, the refinance index fell 10%
Sales of new homes in July surpass a 13-year high
Sales of new homes rose to an annualized rate of 901,000 in July – a near 13.5 year high for the second month in a row, according to the Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. According to the
FHFA delays refinance fee start date to Dec. 1
This story has been updated with reaction from industry trade groups. The Federal Housing Finance Agency announced Tuesday it is postponing the date it will begin implementing its adverse market refinance fee to Dec. 1. The FHFA directed Fannie Mae
