Housing Wire

DECEMBER 30, 2024

Home prices finished 2024 up a few percent nationally and mortgage rates are at their highest level in seven months back over 7% as we head into January. In fact, at $2,290, the typical mortgage payment for homebuyers is starting this next year at the highest level ever. The elephant in the room is affordability. Each line is a year.

Housing Market 543

Housing Market Marketing New Listings Inventory 543

Housing Wire

SEPTEMBER 27, 2024

In a recent episode of “The Loan Officer Podcast,” host Dustin Owen and guest John Coleman explore key tips that all aspiring real estate agents should know when navigating mortgage financing for a potential client. To Coleman’s surprise, Owen says that one in four condo buyers use cash instead of financing.

Finance 445

Finance Agents Mortgage Loan Officers 445

Housing Wire

OCTOBER 28, 2024

Given the unrelenting mortgage costs, generally weak homebuyer demand, and the year’s rising supply of unsold homes, I’ve been expecting home prices to recede a bit in the second half of this year. Maybe next year, if mortgage rates stay in the high 6s, inventory will build closer to the old normal after five years of a severe shortage.

Inventory 475

Inventory New Listings Sellers Contracts 475

Appraisal Buzz

AUGUST 13, 2024

While the industry is no stranger to predatory and/or unfair lending practices, new advisory opinion and research study on a type of home seller financing known as a “contract for deed” has been released by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The CFPB is had a field hearing in St.

Contracts 367

Contracts Investors Sellers Lending 367

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 14, 2025

A bill in the state of Hawaii that seeks to establish a state-run equivalent of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA)s Home Equity Conversion Mortgage ( HECM ) program appears to be dead in its current form, having failed to reach key deadlines following its submission to three different legislative committees.

Mortgage 240

Mortgage Finance Contracts Insurance 240

Housing Wire

OCTOBER 30, 2024

A California regulator has revoked the residential mortgage lending license of LoanSnap , the latest in a series of difficulties for the fintech lender. The company — which is headquartered in Costa Mesa, California — also lost its mortgage lender license in Connecticut earlier this month.

Landlords 448

Landlords Loan Officers Lending Contracts 448

Housing Wire

JANUARY 13, 2025

Mortgage rates pushed this week close to 7.25%. Its only two weeks into January and mortgage rates have hit the high end of the range we forecasted for the entire year. Bond markets have driven mortgage rates back to the highs, and home sales are suffering. Thats exactly what happened quickly.

Sellers 418

Sellers Inventory New Listings Contracts 418

Housing Wire

JULY 23, 2024

Mortgage rates continue to move lower this week even as higher borrowing costs have kept activity subdued across many areas of the housing market. Lower mortgage rates are having a positive impact on application levels, with the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reporting last week that applications were up 3.9%

Mortgage 511

Mortgage Real Estate Agent Finance Buyers 511

Housing Wire

NOVEMBER 4, 2024

This week, we count 14% more homes in the contract pending stage now than a year ago. Last year was weak as mortgage rates were hitting 8%. Mortgage rates were super high and inventory was building. That difference can be attributed to mortgage rates staying higher for longer through September.

Inventory 393

Inventory New Listings Sellers Contracts 393

Housing Wire

JANUARY 6, 2025

At the same time, mortgage rates jumped back over 7%. What were trying to track are what the real-time signals are telling us about homebuyers and 7% mortgage rates. Since were entering the year with mortgage rates over 7%, that may put a damper on purchase demand. In 2018, mortgage rates and inventory rose all year.

Inventory 448

Inventory New Listings Contracts Sellers 448

Appraisal Buzz

FEBRUARY 21, 2025

Lease-purchase arrangements are receiving renewed attention from legislators looking for ways to make homeownership more accessible, and theyre a great way to help buyers who cant qualify for a traditional mortgage or pony up the money needed for a down payment. But that doesnt mean there arent risks involved for potential purchasers.

Landlords 221

Landlords Tenants Contracts Law 221

Housing Wire

JUNE 6, 2024

Bond credit-rating organization Moody’s Investors Service has reaffirmed its “above-average” rating for the reverse mortgage servicing performance of Celink , which is the current holder of the U.S. In 2023, Celink renewed subservicing deals with major reverse mortgage lenders including Finance of America and Mutual of Omaha Mortgage.

Mortgage 447

Mortgage Contracts Investors Investing 447

Appraisal Buzz

MARCH 4, 2025

The mortgage industry has traditionally been dominated by men, and although we have made laudable progress, women in our space still face challenges in terms of pay equity, bias, and advancement. Women do hold a dominant percentage of Mortgage Processor positions, at 78%, and 56% of marketing positions.

Lending 195

Lending Mortgage Loan Officers Architecture 195

Housing Wire

JULY 28, 2021

Mortgage applications increased 5.7% for the week ending July 23, mostly on the back of fast-falling mortgage rates. That led to the 30-year fixed mortgage rate declining to its lowest level since February of this year, according to the latest report from the Mortgage Bankers Association. from 64.9% the previous week.

Mortgage 397

Mortgage Contracts Finance Investors 397

Housing Wire

SEPTEMBER 30, 2024

The number of homes under contract across the country has risen for the last few weeks. Purchase mortgage applications are up for five weeks in a row. It seems like mortgage rates are getting closer to 6% are shaking loose a few transactions. Pending home sales climb There are 362,000 single-family homes under contract.

Mortgage 459

Mortgage Contracts Inventory New Listings 459

Housing Wire

JUNE 12, 2024

Mortgage applications shot up 15.6% from one week earlier , according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association ’s (MBA) weekly application survey for the week ending June 7. The refinance share of mortgage activity increased to 35.2% The adjustable-rate mortgage (ARM) share of activity decreased to 6.3% from 13.2%

Business 470

Business Mortgage Contracts Inventory 470

Housing Wire

OCTOBER 7, 2024

After the recent lows with mortgage rates this week, the 30-year fixed rate jumped back up over 6.5%. Mortgage rates bounced back up over the last couple days, and it demonstrates how fragile this housing market recovery could be. Conversely, if mortgage rates don’t stay low, we’ve seen homebuyers very willing to wait.

Housing Market 476

Housing Market Marketing Mortgage Contracts 476

Housing Wire

JULY 15, 2024

Good inflation data came in last week, the bond market rallied and mortgage rates took a notable dip below 7% for the first time in months. Maybe we’re finally past the peak of mortgage rates ? That’s a very small number of new listings that took offers and went into contract immediately. We are not seeing any sales growth.

Housing Market 497

Housing Market New Listings Marketing Mortgage 497

Housing Wire

MARCH 15, 2024

Mortgage pros have closely monitored the commission lawsuit developments since a Kansas City, Missouri jury determined that NAR, HomeServices of America , and Keller Williams conspired to inflate or maintain high commission rates through NAR’s so-called Participation Rule. Assisting homebuyers and their agents adds more to an LO’s plate.

Buyers 514

Buyers Agents Mortgage Real Estate Agent 514

Housing Wire

JUNE 28, 2024

a provider of shared equity financing products, announced Thursday that it hired Paul Giangrande as a corporate executive vice president and president of its mortgage division. Giangrande previously served as president of AmeriCash Mortgage and has more than 30 years of experience in the financial services and mortgage arenas.

Mortgage 394

Mortgage Finance Investing Contracts 394

Housing Wire

AUGUST 6, 2024

Mortgage rates are dropping fast. Mortgage rates are now the lowest they’ve been in over a year. Last year at this time, mortgage rates were rising, eventually peaking at 8% in October 2023. Are we past the opportunity for declining mortgage rates to help demand and pick up home sales in 2024? This makes sense, of course.

Mortgage 482

Mortgage Inventory New Listings Contracts 482

Housing Wire

SEPTEMBER 8, 2022

Top 10 lender and servicer Freedom Mortgage has trimmed its workforce across multiple rounds of layoffs this year and continues to “offshore” some jobs, former employees tell HousingWire. The lender has a contract with Moder , the business outsourcing arm of Archwell Holdings , sources said.

Mortgage 514

Mortgage Loan Officers Clients Investing 514

Housing Wire

DECEMBER 14, 2023

Mortgage industry trade group Community Home Lenders of America (CHLA) is urging government agencies to begin to have conversations surrounding the impact of the jury verdict and potential court ruling in the Sitzer/Burnett commission lawsuit on lending practices.

Lending 448

Lending Mortgage Finance Government 448

Housing Wire

JUNE 5, 2024

Mortgage demand keeps on falling. Mortgage applications dropped 5.2% for the week ending May 31 compared to the prior week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), results that include an adjustment for the Memorial Day holiday. The refinance share of mortgage activity decreased to 31.1% the previous week.

Mortgage 474

Mortgage Government Contracts Lending 474

Housing Wire

DECEMBER 21, 2023

Unfortunately, too many misconceptions persist among real estate and even mortgage industry professionals about the VA home loan, and those misconceptions have big (and negative) impacts. VA mortgage loans generally provide veterans and active-duty service members with more favorable terms than other loans on the market.

Mortgage 468

Mortgage Renovations Appraisal Process Finance 468

Housing Wire

JULY 19, 2022

The Department of Housing and Urban Development said it is “looking very hard” at how to make it easier to finance small-dollar mortgages, but has yet to spell out how it will accomplish that goal. But a senior HUD official in mid-July stated the obstacles to providing small-dollar mortgages, instead of giving solutions.

Mortgage 397

Mortgage Finance Lending Development 397

Housing Wire

OCTOBER 25, 2024

Mortgage technology startup Novaprime is making its public debut with the launch of an AI-powered loan platform that it claims allows lenders to sell loans to investors in just days, instead of weeks, all with a high degree of accuracy. Loan details needing attention are routed to a professional for a better borrower experience.

Investors 433

Investors Contracts Technology Lending 433

Housing Wire

NOVEMBER 9, 2022

The decision to exit the forward mortgage business hit Finance of America Companies hard in the third quarter of 2022. FoA announced the shutdown of Finance of America Mortgage , its forward mortgage business, in late October, becoming the largest originator to do so this cycle. Presented by: FundingShield.

Mortgage 418

Mortgage Finance Retail Business 418

Housing Wire

SEPTEMBER 23, 2020

Let me be contrarian: Get ready, because mortgage rates are going to rise in 2021. The Mortgage Bankers Association in its most recent forecast sees two things that stand out. First, 2020 will prove itself to be the second biggest mortgage year in history. Now before you respond, just read the rest as to why. You must be wrong.”

Mortgage 540

Mortgage Investors Buyers Finance 540

Housing Wire

SEPTEMBER 27, 2023

In the week following the Federal Open Market Committee ‘s meeting, mortgage applications sunk. 22, mortgage applications fell 1.3% from the prior week , according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association. Mortgage rates moved to their highest levels in over 20 years as Treasury yields increased late last week.

Mortgage 467

Mortgage Contracts Inventory Marketing 467

Housing Wire

SEPTEMBER 15, 2024

An often misguided premise I see on social media is that lower mortgage rates are doing nothing for housing demand. Purchase application data First, purchase apps is the fastest way to look for positive or negative data at higher or lower mortgage rates. That’s ok — very few people are looking at the data without an agenda.

Mortgage 521

Mortgage Inventory New Listings Retail 521

Housing Wire

AUGUST 4, 2024

Mortgage rates moved massively lower last week without any Federal Reserve rate cuts, primarily because the labor market is getting softer. Can mortgage rates go even lower? We don’t have that variable this year and spreads have improved earlier than I thought, which has helped mortgage pricing.

Mortgage 518

Mortgage Inventory New Listings Housing Market 518

Housing Wire

APRIL 26, 2022

A rising player in the world of crypto-mortgages and blockchain-enabled financing, LoanSnap, plans expand its reach in the market by opening its lending platform to licensed mortgage brokers across the country in the near future. It’s an open platform. We’re not huge, but we’re not small either.”.

Mortgage 476

Mortgage Technology Investing Investors 476

Housing Wire

SEPTEMBER 1, 2024

The best part about 2024 has been that higher mortgage rates have created an inventory buffer, so if the economy gets softer and rates fall, we have many more homes to work with than we had in 2020-2023. However, as mortgage rates have fallen recently , I haven’t been able to hit my targets, which isn’t a surprise.

Inventory 538

Inventory Mortgage New Listings Housing Market 538

Housing Wire

SEPTEMBER 20, 2023

In the week leading up to the Federal Open Market Committee meeting, mortgage applications finally ticked up. 15, mortgage applications rose 5.4% from the prior week , according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association. The refinance share of mortgage activity increased to 31.6% For the week that ended Sept.

Mortgage 476

Mortgage Inventory Contracts Buyers 476

Housing Wire

APRIL 9, 2024

Mortgage rates remained unchanged last week despite the release of the stronger-than-expected jobs report. HousingWire’s Mortgage Rates Center showed the average 30-year fixed rate for conventional loans at 7.16% on Tuesday, unchanged from one week earlier. At the same time one year ago, the 30-year fixed rate averaged 6.46%.

Mortgage 467

Mortgage New Listings Inventory Contracts 467

Housing Wire

APRIL 13, 2024

Mortgage rates headed higher last week after the CPI inflation report , but now, with news of a wider war in the Middle East, should we expect even higher rates? 10-year yield and mortgage rates There is nothing good to report on mortgage rates from last week. The week ahead will answer some of those questions early on.

Inventory 504

Inventory Mortgage New Listings Retail 504