Housing Wire

MARCH 5, 2025

Mortgage applications increased 20.4% from one week earlier on a seasonally adjusted basis as buyers pounced on lower rates , according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Associations (MBA) weekly mortgage applications survey for the week ending Feb. ” The refinance share of mortgage activity increased to 43.8%

Fixed-rate mortgage 505

Fixed-rate mortgage VA loan Mortgages Loans 505

Housing Wire

OCTOBER 16, 2024

Mortgage applications decreased 17% from one week earlier as mortgage rates surged, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association ’s (MBA) weekly application survey for the week ending October 11, 2024. The refinance index decreased 26% from the previous week and was 111% higher than the same week one year ago.

Mortgages 521

Mortgages Loans As-is Marketing 521

Housing Wire

DECEMBER 20, 2024

House of Representatives proposes to relieve Federal Housing Administration (FHA) borrowers of mortgage insurance premiums (MIPs) once they reach a certain level of home equity , aligning FHA policies with those of conventional loans. Mortgage insurance exists as protection from foreclosure on low equity loans.

FHA loan 418

FHA loan Mortgages Equity Loans 418

Housing Wire

OCTOBER 25, 2024

Mortgage technology startup Novaprime is making its public debut with the launch of an AI-powered loan platform that it claims allows lenders to sell loans to investors in just days, instead of weeks, all with a high degree of accuracy. Loan details needing attention are routed to a professional for a better borrower experience.

Loans 434

Loans Investor Closing Lending 434

Housing Wire

OCTOBER 31, 2024

By at least one measurement, affordability is improving for prospective homebuyers, even as home prices continue to rise and mortgage credit availability remains relatively low. According to data released Thursday by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), the median payment for purchase loan applicants declined by 0.8%

FHA loan 447

FHA loan Mortgages Loans As-is 447

Housing Wire

OCTOBER 18, 2024

Provident told broker partners that all loans in the pipeline must be locked by 11:59 p.m. Provident told broker partners that all loans in the pipeline must be locked by 11:59 p.m. Additionally, all loans currently locked must be funded by the lock expiration date. PST on Oct. 31 or they’ll be declined. Condos are hard.

Mortgages 524

Mortgages Marketing Lending Finance 524

Housing Wire

OCTOBER 23, 2024

Even as artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more prominent in the mortgage industry, most millennial and Generation Z homebuyers are hesitant to rely solely on a fully automated application process to get a loan, according to a new study. About 58% of respondents still relied on loan officers to guide them through the process.

Mortgages 459

Mortgages Loan Officer Loans Technology 459

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 6, 2025

Describing the modern-day mortgage market as challenging would be an understatement, to say the least. Mortgage interest rates have steadily ramped up throughout 2024. The average rate throughout 2024 for 30-year fixed mortgages was 6.72% higher than it was during the 2008 market crash. Why is that important?

Loans 321

Loans Mortgages Equity Construction 321

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 27, 2025

Homebuyers faced worsening affordability conditions in January as the median monthly mortgage payment for purchase applicants increased to $2,205, a 3.7% jump from Decembers $2,127, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). Meanwhile, the median loan application amount grew from $319,000 in December to $324,800 in January.

Mortgages 390

Mortgages FHA loan Loans As-is 390

Housing Wire

OCTOBER 28, 2024

Mortgage tech firm Ocrolus has introduced Inspect, a new solution within its artificial intelligence -driven mortgage document automation technology, which the company said will improve efficiency and scalability in loan origination. Currently, Ocrolus supports more than 95% of mortgage document types.

Inspection 448

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Housing Wire

NOVEMBER 11, 2024

New York-based digital mortgage lender Better.com launched a streamline refinance loan product on Monday that aims to help military veterans and service members save money on long-term interest expenses and closing costs. Better is now offering the well-known Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loan (IRRRL) through the U.S.

Closing costs 367

Closing costs Loans Closing VA loan 367

Housing Wire

OCTOBER 31, 2024

Reverse mortgage industry leader Finance of America (FOA) announced updates on Thursday to the interest rate for HomeSafe Second, its proprietary second-lien reverse mortgage product. The interest rate on the loan has been lowered from 9.99% to 9.49%. The interest rate on the loan has been lowered from 9.99% to 9.49%.

Mortgages 434

Mortgages Equity Loan Officer Loans 434

Housing Wire

JANUARY 10, 2025

Representatives from lenders and servicers, as well as individual originators, have told HousingWire s Reverse Mortgage Daily (RMD) that its imperative for borrowers to let their servicer know about anything that could impact the occupancy of their property due to the terms of Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-backed reverse mortgages.

Industrial 396

Industrial Mortgages Loans Finance 396

Housing Wire

MARCH 4, 2025

The pace of home sales remains near a 30-year low point as home prices and mortgage rates keep potential borrowers in wait-and-see mode. But mortgage rates have posted an unusually large decline in the past week. Mortgage pricing should be down a tad today, he said. This would be a clear headwind to any further rate cuts.

Mortgages 481

Mortgages Sales Finance Closing 481

Housing Wire

MARCH 27, 2025

Mortgage affordability remained flat in February as the national median monthly payment for purchase loan applicants remained unchanged at $2,205. By product type, the median mortgage payment for conventional loan applicants was $2,226, up from $2,225 in January and up from $2,194 in February 2024. in February.

Mortgages 341

Mortgages FHA loan Loans As-is 341

Housing Wire

JANUARY 3, 2025

Reverse mortgage professionals made more inroads into the forward mortgage industry in 2024. This happened through dedicated conversations, partnerships between reverse and forward mortgage companies, and expanded activities in reverse that stemmed from acquisitions and expansions of existing divisions. Guild is one example.

Mortgages 418

Mortgages Lending Loan Officer Loans 418

Housing Wire

MARCH 3, 2025

Introduction As part of our ongoing discussion on the concept of movement in the mortgage industry, it is readily apparent that the failure of mortgage companies to pivot or tweak their business models to satisfy changing market and other conditions has resulted in consolidation based on liquidity, buyback, financial and other concerns.

Purchase and sale agreement 414

Purchase and sale agreement Closing Industrial Mortgages 414

Housing Wire

OCTOBER 29, 2024

Economists pointed to lower mortgage rates as the reason for slower growth. Despite the Federal Reserve’s half-point interest rate cut in September, rates for 30-year conforming loans have climbed back up to 6.7%, according to HousingWire ’s Mortgage Rates Center. Is home-price growth finally cooling? gain from July.

Mortgages 487

Mortgages MLS Equity Loans 487

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 3, 2025

There is constant movement in the mortgage industry with the desire for growth and expansion. It is easy to become blinded by the end goal of increasing loan volume and quality origination talent. Thus, it has never been more important to focus on due diligence in analyzing a mortgage industry acquisition target.

Due diligence 418

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Housing Wire

JANUARY 8, 2025

California -based direct lender AmeriTrust Mortgage announced a new addition to its leadership team. The company welcomed veteran mortgage executive Jett Farrington this week as its new chief operating officer. billion in loans in 2024, according to an Instagram post on the company’s website.

Mortgages 397

Mortgages Loans Industrial Banks 397

Housing Wire

JANUARY 27, 2025

It also operates outside of the regulatory purview of other home-equity tapping products, including the Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-sponsored Home Equity Conversion Mortgage ( HECM ). Comparisons to HECM loans In fact, the HECM loan is brought up multiple times in the report as a point of comparison to existing HEI products.

Equity 370

Equity Mortgages Loans Residential 370

Housing Wire

MARCH 30, 2025

However, the data references Freddie Mac ‘s Serious Delinquency levels on multifamily loans. These loans pertain to multifamily mortgages, which are used for commercial properties with five or more units, such as apartment buildings. Its not even a clever lie.

Fixed-rate mortgage 541

Fixed-rate mortgage Bankruptcy Loans Commercial 541

Housing Wire

MARCH 5, 2025

The newest weekly mortgage applications survey data, released Wednesday by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) included the lowest mortgage rates in months, which created a stir in the number of applications. On-the-ground observations Loan officers say they’re seeing an increase in government loan demand.

Loan Officer 297

Loan Officer Loans VA loan FHA loan 297

Housing Wire

JANUARY 17, 2025

Seattle-based WaFd Bank , which has offered home loans for more than 100 years, announced Thursday in an earnings report that it will exit the single-family mortgage lending business. That is bad news for banks like WaFd Bank, because it has made the business of originating mortgages for our portfolio unsustainable.

Lending 397

Lending Banks Mortgages Commercial 397

Housing Wire

MARCH 24, 2025

Mortgage denial rates vary significantly across the U.S., Three Southern states recorded the nations highest mortgage denial rates in 2023, the trade group reported in its Snapshot of Race and Home Buying in America. Realtor.com chief economist Danielle Hale explained that a range of financial factors contribute to mortgage denials.

Debt-to-income ratio 302

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Housing Wire

MARCH 31, 2025

Baltimore-based private mortgage lender Dominion Financial is joining the AI movement. On Monday, the company announced the addition of two artificial intelligence-powered assistants to help real estate investors and mortgage brokers. Harvey will assist real estate investors while Donna is for mortgage brokers.

Investor 344

Investor Mortgages Lending Technology 344

Housing Wire

MARCH 14, 2025

The mortgage professional of the future goes beyond the transaction. Our mortgage industry is experiencing a fundamental shift. Traditional loan officers who focus solely on transactions are being replaced by mortgage professionals who act as financial strategists, long-term advisors, and educators.

Mortgages 358

Mortgages Loan Officer Marketing Loans 358

Housing Wire

OCTOBER 22, 2024

Guaranteed Rate Affinity announced a promotion on Tuesday as the joint venture company named 22-year industry veteran Mark Rawls as vice president of mortgage lending. Rawls’ prior experience spans several companies — including Movement Mortgage and WR Starkey Mortgage.

Lending 431

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Housing Wire

NOVEMBER 21, 2024

Tim Nelson, a longtime reverse mortgage industry professional and reverse department manager at VIP Mortgage in Scottsdale, Arizona , spent 20 years in the home lending arena before shifting his focus entirely to reverse. Nelson is now a reverse mortgage borrower in addition to being an industry professional.

Mortgages 370

Mortgages Loan Officer Equity Lending 370

Housing Wire

NOVEMBER 22, 2024

As low inventory levels, elevated mortgage rates and rising home prices keep the housing industry stagnant, short-term real estate investors — aka fix-and-flippers — faced market turmoil during the third quarter of 2024. The average interest rate for a fix-and-flip loan also rose in Q3 2024 to 10%, according to Kiavi.

Investor 433

Investor Mortgages Renovation Loans 433

Housing Wire

MARCH 11, 2025

Tomo Mortgage on Tuesday announced the closure of $20 million in Series B funding that was led by three existing investors and a new participant. Tomo touts its use of artificial intelligence in streamlining loan underwriting and closing processes. The companys tech-driven approach to lending is proving attractive to investors.

Closing 354

Closing Mortgages Investor Loan Officer 354

Housing Wire

NOVEMBER 13, 2024

Founder and CEO Vishal Garg made a eye-popping statement when he opined that “in the next 10 years, 99% of the (mortgage) tasks will be completed by bots and 1% by humans.” “The bulk of the tasks that are required to process a mortgage are going to be performed by AI bots over the next 10 years,” Garg said in an interview with HousingWire. “The

Mortgages 370

Mortgages Loan Officer Loans Technology 370

Housing Wire

NOVEMBER 13, 2024

In a new episode of “The Loan Officer Podcast,” host Dustin Owen chats with John Cornish of Iowa-based Key Mortgage Group about his path into the industry, tips for scaling a mortgage lending business and how to avoid stagnation as a loan originator. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Mortgages 370

Mortgages Sales Loan Officer Lending 370

Housing Wire

JANUARY 14, 2025

Mortgage rates continued their ascent this week after Fridays jobs report showed that employers added more positions than expected in December, which is likely to cement a pause on interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve later this month. The 15-year conforming loan rate averaged 7.34% on Tuesday up an astonishing 23 bps in the past week.

Mortgages 418

Mortgages Banks Loans As-is 418

Housing Wire

JANUARY 30, 2025

Sage Home Loans Corp. “We are thrilled to welcome Bijoy John as the new Senior VP of Marketing at Sage Home Loans Corporation,” Sage Home Loans’ CEO Mike Malloy said in an email. The veteran mortgage marketer has worked for companies like Freedom Mortgage , Newrez and Rate , his most recent company.

Loans 371

Loans Marketing Lending Banks 371

Housing Wire

MARCH 27, 2025

Self-branded “financial fitness” platform FinLocker announced Wednesday that it will cover 100% of the verification costs for mortgage borrowers who use lenders’ FinLocker-powered apps. This is about fundamentally transforming how the mortgage ecosystem works together.”

Mortgages 290

Mortgages Loan Officer Technology Loans 290

Housing Wire

OCTOBER 29, 2024

Employment data for October is set to be released Friday, and it will go a long way in determining the path for mortgage rates, which have surged upward in the past month. At HousingWire’s Mortgage Rates Center on Tuesday, the average rate for 30-year conforming loans was 6.72%. The monthly payment on the median-priced U.S.

Mortgages 447

Mortgages Equity Loans Marketing 447