Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Acting Director Sandra Thompson has put affordability at the top of the annual to-do list for the government-sponsored enterprises. In its 2022 Scorecard, the conservator also tasked the GSEs with updating their pricing framework to
What Is a Craftsman Style House?
Craftsman-style houses are one of the most popular house styles in the U.S. While original craftsman houses are most heavily concentrated in the Midwest and Southern California, the architectural style can be found all over the country. Today, new-builds using
Shift Toward Seasonal Norms Could Benefit Buyers, Renters
Though still hot, easing competition in the housing market could reward persistent shoppers Go to Source Author:
Thanksgiving Kitchen Features That Can Boost a Home’s Value
Zillow identifies eight amenities that can simplify holiday meal prep — and increase a home’s sale price Go to Source Author:
Pet Ownership Soars Among Home Buyers, Influencing Purchase Decisions
New Zillow data finds pet owners are more likely to purchase larger homes with more bedrooms Go to Source Author:
Staging a Bathroom to Sell: A Complete Guide
When staging a house for sale, it can be easy to focus on big projects such as updating your landscaping, dusting your home, or repainting chipped walls. Oftentimes, this can lead home sellers to neglect focusing on important rooms that
Painting Brick: To Paint or Not To Paint Your Home
There are lots of mixed opinions when it comes to painting brick homes. Some homeowners love the idea of sprucing up their classic brick house with a fresh coat of paint, while others wince at the thought of covering up
Renovating A House Checklist: Where to Start
Home renovations provide homeowners with the opportunity to take their house and turn it into a home they’ve always dreamed of – all while increasing the home value. And, with the change of seasons, maybe you’ve decided it’s time for
New York poised to expand CRA rule to nonbank lenders
New York State is close to approving a controversial bill that expands the requirements of the state community reinvestment act (CRA) to non-depository lenders, following the lead of Massachusetts and Illinois. The CRA rule, enacted in 1977, mandates that banks
Bidding wars are starting to cool off
For the fifth consecutive month the number of bidding wars on home sales declined, according to a new report from brokerage Redfin. In September, 58.9% of offers written by Redfin agents ended up in a bidding war, the lowest rate
GSE forbearance rate declines to 1%
Servicers’ forbearance portfolio volume declined at a reduced pace this week, as mortgage holders continue to exit COVID-19 plans, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). The total number of loans in forbearance decreased by seven basis points to
HW+ Member Spotlight: Karen Mayfield
This week’s HW+ spotlight features Karen Mayfield, head of National Retail Sales at Wyndham Capital Mortgage. In her role, Mayfield is tasked with expanding on the company’s digital roots into the retail mortgage environment. With more than two decades in the industry,
Rocket Pro TPO redesigns pricing calculator for brokers
In the face of a serious housing shortage, exceptional service from brokers is more important than ever. With forced bidding becoming the new norm, top brokers understand the importance of providing loan pricing with speed and certainty. Purchase originations demand
Why brokerages and mortgage lenders are rushing into JVs
The excited and at times nervous first-time homebuyers that James Dunn often represents ask him how that whole process of taking out a mortgage works, and Dunn, a Los Angeles-based real estate agent with eXp, replies with a few trusted
Recruiting the next generation of appraisers
The appraisal industry’s lack of diversity — in terms of age, gender and ethnicity — and the growing number of appraisers exiting the profession as they reach retirement age have been well-documented issues. But now that the industry is keenly
Charlie Oppler: DOJ needs to honor agreement with NAR
You should be able to count on the Department of Justice (DOJ) to honor an agreement. And yet, in a complete breach of commitment and legal precedent, the DOJ backed out of an agreement with the National Association of Realtors (NAR)
DOJ, OCC, CFPB pledge to combat “modern-day redlining”
Attorney General Merrick Garland The Department of Justice, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are teaming up in a new initiative to combat redlining. The Civil Division of the DOJ will partner
UpEquity raises $50M, hopes to originate $1B in next year
Austin-based mortgage tech platform UpEquity raised $50 million in a Series B funding round led by the venture capital firm S3 Ventures. The funding will support the company’s growth as UpEquity forecasts more than $1 billion in originations over the
Housing Market Moderation Gives Buyers Breathing Room
Inventory rises as the typically slower winter season approaches Go to Source Author:
Baby Boomers and Millennials Are Competing for Homes, and Boomers Are Winning
Young people make up a smaller share of recent home buyers than in previous years, indicating there is still much pent-up demand from millennial households Go to Source Author:
PNC Bank breached COVID-19 payment deferral agreement: suit
PNC Bank allegedly breached Fannie Mae’s COVID-19 payment deferral agreement by continuing to charge homeowners who opted for the home retention option for past-due monthly principal and interest payments. A national class action-seeking lawsuit filed in Maryland federal court claims
Redwood Trust plants flag in the massive home equity market
Redwood Trust CEO Christopher Abate laid out a bold vision of growth for the real estate investment trust at an investor conference in New York City last month. Part of that vision included finding ways to tap into the nation’s
New Residential scoops up fix-and-flip lender
New Residential Investment Corp. announced Monday that it has entered into a definitive agreement to buy Genesis Capital LLC, a fix-and-flip lender, from Goldman Sachs. New Residential said that it expects Genesis to originate close to $2 billion of loans
Lenders are courting self-employed borrowers again
Mortgage credit availability increased for the third consecutive month in September, but is still 30% below the pre-pandemic level, according to a report released Tuesday by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). Much of the growth in credit availability has come