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Many homeowners don’t understand how their escrow account works

Housing Wire

Among homeowners who have a mortgage escrow account, only 52% fully understand how the account works, according to survey results released Thursday by property tax services provider LERETA. In 2023, 60% of the calls were related to escrow accounts, specifically shortages due to rising property taxes or insurance costs.”

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Lenders: Looking to simplify closings? Work with an insurance agency

Housing Wire

HousingWire recently spoke to Tom Kriby, vice president of client development and partnerships at Westwood Insurance Agency, about how working with an insurance agency can simplify the closing process for their customers, even in times of interest rate uncertainty. Take insurance, for example.

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In its war on ‘junk fees,’ CFPB targets mortgage servicing

Housing Wire

The agency also asserted that deadlines to pay property taxes and homeowners insurance were impacted. Mortgage servicers that accepted or required money from borrowers to pay taxes and insurance failed to make those payments in a timely manner, which caused some borrowers to incur penalties,” the bureau stated.

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Opinion: Improving housing affordability without exposing homebuyers to more risk

Housing Wire

For example, recently, Fannie Mae has focused on expanding alternatives to title insurance as a way to supposedly increase homeownership affordability. However, Fannie Mae’s own research from 2022 found that title insurance is not a significant component of the overall closing costs when buying a home.

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The Importance of Tax Escrow Payment Processing for Mortgage Servicer Operations

Appraisal Buzz

Mortgage tax escrow payments for local property owners and government processors continue to serve as a crucial source of revenue for local governments. Among these payments, timely settlement of local property taxes holds particular significance.

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Miami seeks new debt package to finance affordable housing: Bloomberg

Housing Wire

Mayor Daniella Levine Cava will propose a new property tax-backed debt package later this year that would raise $2.5 Additionally, the cost of homeowners insurance has dramatically increased in Florida as insurance companies have grappled with significant losses due to an increase in natural disasters. Out of the $2.5

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Growing Home Insurance Costs Will Destroy Your Cash Flow—Here’s What You Can Do About It

BiggerPockets

Real estate investors are usually most concerned about rental income and property taxes. They seldom discuss home insurance. Many assume that home insurance is a standard fixed price in most […]