Homeowners are seeing record levels of equity in their homes, and many are eager to use it. Mortgage originations hit their highest levels since 2022 driven in large part by purchases and cash-out refinances, according to Intercontinental Exchange’s August Mortgage Monitor. Cash-out loans made up 59% of all refinances, with borrowers pulling an average of […]
Homeowners tap record equity as rates ease Read More »
Lending software platform MeridianLink will go back into private hands after announcing Monday it had agreed to terms of an acquisition deal with investment management firm Centerbridge Partners. The deal to reprivatize the Irvine, California-based technology provider is the latest in a wave of mortgage-related mergers and acquisitions this year and also comes as advances
MeridianLink agrees to privatization deal Read More »
The Federal Trade Commission recently highlighted the dramatic surge in scams targeting older adults that has increased pressure on U.S. banks and credit unions to enhance their fraud prevention measures. The FTC said a growing wave of scams has taken aim at retirees’ life savings, with fraudsters often impersonating trusted government agencies and businesses to
FTC warns of alarming surge in scams that target seniors Read More »
The disappointing spring home purchase season influenced the second quarter results of the publicly traded title insurance underwriters. Certain metrics were strong, with pretax title margins at three of the companies’ showing significant gains versus the second quarter. Stewart was up 630 basis points, First American reported a 530 basis point rise and Fidelity National
Title insurers see margins rise, sales still weak Read More »
The oversight agency for two government-sponsored enterprises sent out an image from President Trump over the weekend depicting a public offering for some of their shares near term but experts question the timing. The illustration from President Trump’s Truth Social post, like some others he’s posted around his policy initiatives, is designed to depict an
President Trump envisions November launch for mortgage IPO Read More »
John Bell III, executive director of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Loan Guaranty Service, is leaving his role. The longtime mortgage professional and U.S. Navy veteran had been the executive at LGY since 2022, and spent 15 years at the VA, according to his biography. In a Linkedin post late Sunday night, he announced his
Veterans Affairs mortgage executive John Bell III departs Read More »
Freddie Mac has expanded its program for loans on real-property factory-built homes that have features in common with traditional houses like pitched roofs, attached garages and permanent foundations. The government-sponsored enterprise said it is now buying single-section CrossMod homes loans for the first time, making it possible for borrowers to get reduced rates for housing
Why there’s renewed interest in financing factory-built homes Read More »
Believe it or not, there are clear signs buyer interest is heating up again. Let’s talk about what’s really going on behind the scenes, and why the housing market might not be as quiet out there as it seems. Buyers Are Looking, and Search Trends Prove It One of the clearest ways to measure what
Online Home-Buying Search Terms Recently Hit 2-Year High Read More »
Housing inventory growth has been slowing down since the last two weeks of June, as mortgage rates have been trending lower. However, last week we saw an actual decline week to week, which is rare for this time of year compared to recent years. What does this mean? Has active inventory peaked? Our new listings
Did lower mortgage rates already lower housing inventory? Read More »
On Saturday, President Donald Trump seemed to acknowledge reporting by The Wall Street Journal on Friday that he plans to IPO Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac by the end of this year. Trump posted an AI image on Truth Social of him at the New York Stock Exchange with the words: MAGA LISTED NYSE and
Trump seems to confirm 2025 timing for Fannie, Freddie IPO Read More »