UWM now offering mortgages without lender's title insurance
The nation's largest wholesale mortgage lender moves to capitalize on rule changes by mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac aimed at helping borrowers save on their closing costs
by Matt Carter Oct 3
US housing markets considered 'overvalued' quadrupled in 2022
Median home sale prices exceed the house-buying power of would-be buyers in 19 of 50 markets, according to data released Tuesday by First American Financial Corp.
by Matt Carter Sep 28
The pandemic-era home price boom has ended — and now we know when
Two major estimates of home prices now concur: The uninterrupted string of monthly increases came to an end this July, according to new data released Tuesday from CoreLogic and the FHFA
by Daniel Houston Sep 27
Congress closer to prodding VA to update appraisal requirements
The Department of Veterans Affairs allows desktop appraisals when borrowers put 20% down, but nearly 90% of VA-backed loans are made to homebuyers who put zero down
by Matt Carter Sep 15
Big lenders get a head start, adopt $715,000 conforming loan limit
Moves by Rocket and United Wholesale Mortgage could help borrowers get better rates and make smaller down payments when taking out loans that were previously classified as jumbo
by Matt Carter Sep 7
Is the summer rush obscuring a deeper housing slowdown?
The seasonal summer boom in the housing market has gone head-to-head with dramatically cooling market conditions. The latest data reflects the market appears to be 'losing steam'
by Daniel Houston Aug 30
Home price growth reached point of sustained slowdown in May
Mortgage rates began to take a toll on price growth as early as this spring. But prices remained more resilient than other market indicators, according to the S&P Corelogic Case-Shiller Index
by Daniel Houston Jul 26
Equifax 'coding issue' possibly skews thousands of mortgage credit scores
The 'coding issue’ reportedly affecting about 12 percent of credit scores calculated from March 16 to April 6, 2022, has been corrected, according to the company.
by Matt Carter May 31
Senate narrowly confirms Sandra Thompson to lead Fannie, Freddie regulator
49-46 party-line vote follows Republican leader's call for a referendum on the Biden administration’s 'radical housing policy'
by Matt Carter May 26
A mortgage giant crunched 47 years of housing data. Here's what it found
The new Fannie Mae Home Price Index aims to capture a broader picture of the housing market. What it found was the fastest annual pace of home price growth in nearly half a century
by Matt Carter Apr 18
New tools from Clear Capital facilitate desktop appraisals
Real estate agents and brokers approved by Clear Capital provide property information that supplements data from public sources, helping appraisers complete accurate desktop appraisals
by Matt Carter Mar 31
Appraisal ethics rule under review after federal scrutiny
The ethics rule in question, which some regulators argue doesn't clearly state that housing discrimination against protected classes is illegal, was contested by 8 federal agencies
by Andrea V. Brambila Mar 11
Fannie, Freddie fees on 2nd homes, conforming jumbos go up April 1
Mortgage giants ordered to exempt first-time homebuyers from increases, which could boost private lending
by Matt Carter Jan 18
The biggest mortgage, lending and housing finance stories of 2021
The rise of Power Buying, regulatory battles, Fed tapering and big acquisitions rattled lending decisions and homebuyer game plans during a momentous year for the mortgage industry
by Matt Carter Dec 29
Home price growth in New England states slows to a crawl in October
Home prices have continued to rise quickly throughout the US, but price growth halted in October in the Northeast, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s House Price Index
by Daniel Houston Dec 28