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Katie Sweeney, AIME lawsuit escalates as broker group files counterclaims

AIME, HWmember, Lawsuit, Legal, Mortgage, Mortgage Broker, Rocket Companies /

Katie Sweeney, the former top dog at the Association of Independent Mortgage Experts (AIME) and the current executive vice president of strategy and broker advocacy at Rocket Pro, is denying claims by AIME that she misrepresented her role, concealed conflicts and awarded herself payments she wasn’t entitled to. Sweeney is suing the trade group for […]

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US birth rate hits record low, housing costs weigh on family planning

Affordability, Homebuying, Homeownership, Housing Market, HWmember, Real Estate, Realtor.com /

The U.S. birth rate fell to an historic low in 2024, continuing a nearly two-decade decline that researchers say is shaped in part by rising housing costs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the national fertility rate dropped below 1.6 children per woman last year. The replacement level — or rate needed

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Legal experts say RESPA suit against Zillow is ‘going nowhere fast’

Agent, Brokerage, CFPB, Commission Lawsuit, HWmember, Legal, NAR Lawsuit Settlement, Real Estate, Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, Zillow, Zillow Premier Agent /

Zillow’s legal workload became even heavier on Friday when homebuyer Alucard Taylor filed a class action lawsuit against the real estate behemoth over its Premier Agent and Flex programs.  The lawsuit, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Seattle, alleges both the Washington Consumer Protection Act and the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA)

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CalHFA announces Tony Sertich as new executive director

Affordable housing, California, California Housing Finance Agency, HWmember, LendingLife, Mortgage, People Movers, Team Leaders /

California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday that Tony Sertich is the new executive director of the California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA). Sertich most recently served as the assistant deputy director for the division of state financial assistance at the California Department of Housing and Community Development. He’s also served at CalHFA before as its financing

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LoanStream launches new dba, GIANT Lending

California, HWmember, Lenders, LendingLife, Mortgage, Wholesale Lending /

OCMBC Inc., dba LoanStream Mortgage, announced on Monday the retirement of its dba, Jet Advantage Mortgage, and the official launch of GIANT Lending. According to a press release from the company, the new identity “underscores the division’s mission to equip brokers with the strength, resources and support they need to thrive in any market.” “With

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HUD rolls back Fair Housing enforcement, internal records show

Affordable housing, Discrimination, Donald Trump, Fair Housing, HUD, HWmember, Legal, National Fair Housing Alliance, Politics, Real Estate, Scott Turner, Trump administration /

Internal documents and interviews reviewed by The New York Times reveal that Trump administration officials at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) have sharply limited enforcement of the Fair Housing Act — a cornerstone civil rights law designed to prevent discrimination in housing. Emails, memos and testimony from current and former employees obtained

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Have lower mortgage rates already changed the housing market?

Housing Inventory, Housing Market, Housing Market Tracker, HWmember, Mortgage Rates, Purchase Applications /

Mortgage rates fell to almost 6% just before the Fed announcement on rate cuts, then rose slightly to close out the week. Have lower mortgage rates already changed the housing market? Yes. Housing data started to change in our weekly Housing Market Tracker in mid-June and I’m writing this weekend’s tracker a bit differently to

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Tech Pulse: Real estate referral landscape; new e-sign tool

Artificial Intelligence, Homebuying, HWmember, Lenders, Mortgage, Real Estate, Technology, Wire Fraud, Zillow /

Welcome back to Tech Pulse — HousingWire‘s weekly series rounding up the latest in technology news, including tools, integrations and trends that impact mortgage and real estate. Here’s what happened this week: From Zillow to sphere: Why you must know the source of your real estate referrals Real estate agents are navigating a shifting lead-gen landscape — balancing referrals, paid

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New York and DC homeowners set for biggest savings from SALT cap hike

Affordability, California, Home Prices, HWmember, New York, Real Estate, Redfin, Tax, Washington, D.C. /

Homeowners in New York and Washington, D.C., stand to gain the most from the recently expanded federal cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions — with typical households in these locations saving more than $7,000 a year, according to a Redfin report released Thursday. The change — part of President Donald Trump’s One Big

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