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Trapped by design: Why America’s housing market is stuck — and what the rest of the world can teach us

Housing Wire

Millions of homeowners are locked into 23% mortgage rates and simply wont sell, creating a chain reaction thats grinding the entire system to a halt. Its the result of a uniquely American mortgage structureone that unintentionally punishes mobility and paralyzes housing supply. Mortgage originations have dropped off a cliff.

Design 286
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Ruoff Mortgage teams with Calque on ‘buy before you sell’ offering

Housing Wire

Indiana-based lender Ruoff Mortgage is making a move designed to help more homeowners get into new homes with ease. Ruoff Mortgage is teaming up with fintech company Calque to offer two “buy before you sell“ programs to customers. The Trade-In Mortgage — Calque’s most popular program — functions similar to a vehicle trade-in.

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FHA borrowers would get mortgage insurance relief through proposed House bill

Housing Wire

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. Introduced by Reps.

FHA loan 418
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Mortgage servicing startup Valon raises $100M in Series C funding round

Housing Wire

Fast-growing mortgage servicing platform Valon has secured $100 million in a Series C funding round, the company announced this week. It is utilizing a cross-selling strategy that offers additional products to its existing customers in an evolving mortgage landscape.

Mortgages 448
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Dominion Financial creates AI assistants for real estate investors, mortgage brokers

Housing Wire

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 355
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More first-time buyers rely on mortgage rate buydowns to afford homes

Housing Wire

Higher mortgage rates are forcing many first-time homebuyers to adopt a “wait-and-see” approach to the market. HomeLight is an Arizona -based real estate platform designed to connect agents with clients. HomeLight is an Arizona -based real estate platform designed to connect agents with clients. 30 and Nov.

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FOA seeks to ‘modernize’ reverse mortgage outreach efforts to seniors

Housing Wire

Finance of America (FOA), the leading reverse mortgage lender, presented a robust outlook last week in its third-quarter 2024 earnings and is aiming to hit the ground running with business in 2025. The product was first introduced in 2018, marking the industry’s first-ever second-lien reverse mortgage option.

Mortgages 370