Author name: Ricky Vasquez

Mortgage rates drop to lowest level this summer

A surprising July jobs report, which included downward revisions to early 2025 data, drove mortgage rates to their lowest mark in months, Freddie Mac reported.       The 30-year fixed-rate average decreased to 6.63% as of Aug. 7, according to the government-sponsored enterprise’s weekly Primary Mortgage Market survey. The average dropped 9 basis points from 6.72% in […]

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UWM aims for broker-majority market amid 300% profit surge

UWM Holdings CEO Mat Ishbia’s new target for mortgage broker originations share is for them to do over half of production. On the company’s earnings call, he cited statistics giving the current broker share at 30%. “Our goal is for brokers to be No. 1,” Ishbia said. “In my mind, that means 50.1%; I don’t

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a graph of sales and sales

Why Selling Without an Agent Can Cost You More Than You Think

Cutting out the agent might seem like a smart way to save when you sell your house. But here’s the hard truth. Last year, homes that sold with an agent went for almost 15% more than those that sold without one. That gap is pretty hard to ignore. And with more homes on the market

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One overlooked pitfall of owning a home that  – with your intervention – can cultivate clients for life

What’s one thing most homeowners would say no one told them about buying a home? If you said how quickly property taxes can go up, you’re not lying—and let me give you a tip to help you save them thousands. But first, last night, some of my MBA Accounting students graciously volunteered with me to

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Breaking the mold: new mortgage products emerge

In an interview with National Mortgage News, former Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago executive Steve Thomas complained about the current lack of product development in the mortgage business. That is likely because of a reluctance among lenders to create those unique programs outside of the agency and government spectrums especially since Monday morning quarterbacks

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Citi CEO meets Trump on Fannie, Freddie public offerings

Citigroup Inc. Chief Executive Officer Jane Fraser met with President Donald Trump on Wednesday to pitch public stock offerings for mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.  Fraser met with Trump to discuss the bank’s possible involvement in monetizing the Federal National Mortgage Association and Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp., the firms that have been

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Zillow wants to be the hub for consumers and agents

Zillow’s critics may say that the company has never had the best interests of real estate agents at heart. But on the company’s second-quarter 2025 earnings call on Wednesday night, executives looked to set the record straight.  “As we work to streamline residential real estate transactions with our ‘Housing Super App,’ everything we build is

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HomeStory’s McClelland speaks on changing real estate landscape

On this week’s episode of the RealTrending podcast, host Tracey Velt sits down with Craig McClelland — chief strategy officer at HomeStory and president of LOCAL Realty — for a forward-looking conversation about the shifting landscape of real estate. McClelland emphasizes the growing necessity of consumer-first strategies. He also highlights how major players like Zillow

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Opendoor teams up with Jason Mitchell Group

As Opendoor looks forward on its path to profitability, the iBuyer is looking to leverage agent relationships to expand its business.  A day after discussing this strategic shift during the firm’s second-quarter 2025 earnings call with investors and analysts, Opendoor has announced a partnership with the Jason Mitchell Group (JMG) a powerhouse real estate referral

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Top-producing Banner Team joins Compass, expanding DC-area presence

The Banner Team — one of the highest-performing real estate groups in the Washington, D.C., metro area — has joined Compass. Led by principal agent Wendy Banner, the 13-agent team brings more than 100 years of combined experience and $2.03 billion in career sales to Compass. The group most recently held the top spot at

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