US previously owned home sales rose slightly in May to a still-sluggish pace that continues to show a housing market constrained by poor affordability. Contract closings increased 0.8% to an annualized rate of 4.03 million last month, just the second advance this year, according to data released Monday by the National Association of Realtors. That […]
Home resales stay sluggish on affordability constraints Read More »
For many career servicemembers in the U.S. military, relocation is part of the job. Known as a Permanent Change of Station, these reassignments typically happen every two to four years and often involve moving an entire household: spouse, kids, pets and all. This is where lenders and real estate agents can play a critical role
How to guide military PCS clients through home financing Read More »
Short-term market swings are nothing new but the kind of volatility mortgage lenders are dealing with today is driven less by predictable economic indicators and more by geopolitical tensions, trade policy shifts, and global headlines. While volatility has ticked up, it’s not at historic extremes. The CBOE Volatility Index, which measures stress in financial markets,
Mortgage pros share tips for riding out volatility Read More »
In the aftermath of the Federal Open Market Committee’s June meeting, certain interest rate spreads should narrow, but the overall impact for mortgages is mixed, a Keefe, Bruyette & Woods report said. Part of that depends on which segment of the industry the company operates in. Mortgage rates remaining elevated, with the 30-year fixed only
Mortgage servicers benefit most from Fed’s inaction: KBW Read More »
Home prices continued to rise in May, reaching a new high even as fears of tariffs, trade wars, and economic uncertainty swirl through the broader economy. The median sale price for a home reached an all-time record of $396,500 during the four weeks ending June 15, according to Redfin. This was up 1% from the
High home prices hide broader slowdown as demand drops Read More »
Flipping homes is becoming a less profitable business venture for investors, an Attom Data Solutions report finds. The return on investment for fix-and-flip properties dipped to 25% in the first quarter of 2025, down from 28% the previous quarter. In the fall of 2020, the ROI on flipping homes was 48.8%, per the data vendor.
Home flipping bears less fruit for investors in Q1 Read More »
This metric supports the originators who create a high number of loans but because of factors like local home prices or products offered, have lower total dollar volumes. For example, Ashley McKenzie, a senior mortgage loan officer at Highlands Residential Mortgage in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, ranked fourth by number of loans originated, although she was
2025’s Top Producers by loan count Read More »
Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s regulator called for Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to step down on Wednesday if he doesn’t cut short-term rates, as monetary policymakers left them unchanged again. “Jay Powell is hurting the housing market by being too late to lower rates. He needs to resign, effective immediately,” Bill Pulte said in
Fannie, Freddie regulator: Powell should cut rates or quit Read More »
Federal Reserve officials left interest rates unchanged and continued to pencil in two rate cuts in 2025, saying uncertainty over the economic outlook was still high but had diminished. The Federal Open Market Committee voted unanimously on Wednesday to hold the benchmark federal funds rate in a range of 4.25%-4.5%, as they have at each
Fed officials hold rates again, still see two cuts by year end Read More »
Fears of tariffs and inflation abound these days, with many Americans concerned that rising prices will push up housing costs. But even as younger consumers worry about buying a home, many of them remain hopeful about their own finances, offering some encouraging news to mortgage lenders looking for unmet demand. More than half or 55%
What Americans’ optimism about finances means for lenders Read More »