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Tech Pulse: Fannie Mae targets fraud, DirectOffer launches AI assistant

Artificial Intelligence, Fannie Mae, HWmember, Mortgage, Real Estate, Technology /

Welcome to Tech Pulse — a new weekly series rounding up the latest in technology, including tools, integrations and trends impacting mortgage and real estate. Here’s what happened this week: Fannie Mae partners with Palantir to detect, prevent mortgage fraud Fannie Mae has teamed up with Palantir Technologies to crack down on mortgage fraud. The […]

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Study suggests banks are avoiding mortgages in California wildfire zones

California, Climate Change, FEMA, HWmember, Los Angeles, Mortgage, Technology, Wildfire /

Following the wildfires that devastated the Los Angeles area at the start of the year, a new study has emerged that suggests banks with physical locations are less likely to extend mortgages to impacted residents, while online lenders are continuing to be active. First reported by the The Washington Post, the study — published on

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Inflation is almost at 2%. Will that prompt a Fed rate cut?

Federal Reserve, HWmember, Inflation, Interest rates, Mortgage Rates, Tariffs /

The good news is the preferred measure of inflation for the Federal Reserve keeps trending downward. The bad news is that the economic backdrop that could lead to lower rates keeps getting more complicated. According to new data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), the Personal Consumption Expenditures price index for April rose

Inflation is almost at 2%. Will that prompt a Fed rate cut? Read More »

New platform aims to ease California down payment burden

Affordability, Artificial Intelligence, California, Canada, Down Payment Assistance, HWmember, Real Estate, Technology /

Zown, a real estate platform that offers upfront financial help to homebuyers, is expanding into California with a goal to ease the burden of down payments and elevated home prices. The service has launched in the Golden State after gaining traction in Canada, where it supported more than 250 homebuyers and facilitated $300 million-plus in

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Sun Belt holds long-term housing edge even as pandemic boomtowns struggle

Covid-19, Data & Analytics, Data & Visuals, Florida, Florida Housing Market, Home Prices, Housing Inventory, Housing Market, HWmember, John Burns Real Estate Consulting, Texas /

The U.S. housing market is telling two very different stories as pandemic-era boomtowns are cooling rapidly while the Sun Belt’s long-term growth outlook remains strong, according to John Burns Research & Consulting. A surge in available homes is reshaping the market in regions that saw the fastest growth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nationally, the number

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How Bill Pulte has reshaped FHFA and the GSEs

Bill Pulte, Donald Trump, Fannie Mae, FHFA, Freddie Mac, Government-Sponsored Enterprise, HWmember, Mortgage, Regulatory, Trump administration /

A key decision maker in the federal housing apparatus, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) oversees the regulator of the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) and the Federal Home Loan Banks. But Bill Pulte has been anything but a conventional FHFA director (pardon the term, since we’re not talking about conforming loan limits just

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Compass seller disclosure form clarifies off-MLS marketing

Brokerage, Clear Cooperation, Compass, HWmember, MLS, Real Estate, Robert Reffkin /

Compass has put forth a revised version of its seller disclosure form to clarify how its three-phase marketing strategy works — including when and how listings are shared with the public. The Compass 3-Phased Marketing Strategy Client Disclosure Form expands on a version first introduced in 2024. Updates include language aimed at improving seller understanding

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Inside Movement Mortgage’s MSR sales strategy

Freedom Mortgage, HWmember, Mortgage, Mortgage Servicing, Movement Mortgage, MSRs, Servicing /

Due to ferocious investor demand, Movement Mortgage is opportunistically selling billions in mortgage servicing rights. And the South Carolina-based retail lender is using the cash proceeds to sharpen pricing for its roughly 1,400 producing loan officers. But while improved pricing might help win deals in the short term, Movement isn’t retaining recapture rights on some

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Latest data reports continued subdued agent mobility through April 2025, highlighting persistent market caution  

Agent, Contributors, HWmember, Opinion, Real Estate /

Despite April traditionally signaling a strong month for agent transfers as brokerages gear up for the peak selling season, this year’s AMI registered at 114.1, notably lower than the 129.8 recorded in April 2024 — a 12% decline. The subdued metric emphasizes the ongoing cautions stance among agents regarding brokerage changes. Seasonally adjusted figures reflect

Latest data reports continued subdued agent mobility through April 2025, highlighting persistent market caution   Read More »

Luxury rentals gain ground as more high-end buyers opt to lease

Contributors, HWmember, Mortgage, Mortgage Rates, Opinion, Origination, Secondary market /

As mortgage rates remain elevated and housing inventory remains tight, luxury rentals are increasingly becoming a preferred choice for high-income U.S. households, marking a shift in how high-end housing is being viewed and occupied across the U.S. Industry data shows a marked uptick in demand for luxury rentals, especially in markets outside of traditional urban

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