Housing Wire

APRIL 9, 2025

We’ve seen a lot of baby boomers staying in their houses because they’ve gained a lot of equity and don’t want to have to pay capital gains taxes, she said. This is impacting the moving and homebuying activity in certain areas, according to housing professionals who spoke recently with Realtor.com.

Equity

Housing Wire

DECEMBER 16, 2024

Homeowners have generally done well over the last few years in accumulating home equity wealth. Since the onset of the pandemic, average equity per borrower increased by about $117,000 nationally, totaling almost $312,000 per mortgaged borrower. Aggregated across borrowers with a mortgage, home equity adds up to almost $17.5

Equity

Housing Wire

APRIL 28, 2025

billion deal to acquire digital real estate brokerage firm Redfin , industry observers are still trying to understand the future of one key asset: Bay Equity Home Loans. While the companies remain quiet on their plans, some Bay Equity employees arent waiting for answerstheyre already looking for new jobs.

Loan Officer

Housing Wire

OCTOBER 31, 2024

The interest rate on the loan has been lowered from 9.99% to 9.49%. Interest rates on second-lien loans tend to be higher when compared to first liens, reflecting the higher amount of risk to the lender. The new states are Arizona, Nevada, Oregon and Utah. The product also has a minimum age requirement of 55.

Mortgages

Housing Wire

APRIL 21, 2025

As one of only a few states considering more stringent regulation of the home equity investment (HEI)/home equity contract product category, lawmakers in the state of Washington have requested an academic study to assess the impacts on state residents who may use an HEI to tap into their home equity.

Equity

Housing Wire

MARCH 5, 2025

According to the MBA, rates for Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans dipped to 6.42%, while refinance activity posted its fastest pace since October 2024. The move in government refinances was driven by a 75% increase in VA loans, which have been prone to large changes in recent months. More renovations?

Loan Officer

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

Housing Wire

OCTOBER 24, 2024

But only about 17,000 delinquent loans completed the foreclosure process in the second quarter of 2024, almost one-third of the nearly 45,000 that completed the foreclosure process in Q1 2020. Often, the best available option for staying in the home is through a loan modification or some other type of repayment plan with the bank.

Bankruptcy

Housing Wire

JANUARY 8, 2025

These borrowers found themselves a great deal on their loan and locked themselves into really terrific cheap payments. The average age of outstanding loans climbed steadily during the cheap-money decade, dropped during the pandemic frenzy and is now skyrocketing as homeowners hunker down. of outstanding mortgages, around 8.7

Mortgages

Housing Wire

JUNE 9, 2025

For Ginnie Mae loans, which often serve lower-income and first-time borrowers, DTIs have surged to 45.1%, the highest since 2008 1. in 2022 – while auto loans delinquencies hit 2.0%, and student loan delinquencies (90+ days past due) soared to 20%, a level unseen since 2012. The 2025 U.S. Today’s DTI average of 40.5%

Marketing

Housing Wire

MAY 13, 2025

Credit data in general doesnt look great when accounting for credit card debt, auto loans, and student loan debt all have had an increase in their percentage on 90-day lates. In contrast, the current state of housing credit appears to be much healthier when compared to credit cards, auto loans and student loan debt.

Bankruptcy

Housing Wire

OCTOBER 23, 2024

On Wednesday, UWM unveiled a new cash-out refinance product —dubbed Cash-Out 90—that allows borrowers to refinance with a loan-to-value ratio of up to 89.99% without requiring mortgage insurance (MI). Loan amounts, however, cannot exceed conforming limits. UWM has debuted a new cash-out refi product without mortgage insurance.

Equity

Housing Wire

JULY 31, 2025

HousingWire: Matt, we’ve spoken a few times recently about the work you’re doing in the customer acquisition space, and how ICE is helping lenders uncover new loan opportunities in today’s competitive market. Lenders often view borrowers differently depending on where they are in the loan journey. Can you tell us more about that?

Loans

Housing Wire

APRIL 18, 2025

First American Data & Analytics has launched a new product designed to help lenders identify title issues earlier in the mortgage and home equity loan process, with the goal of cutting delays and reducing closing times.

Title

Housing Wire

JUNE 26, 2025

It follows nearly three years of borrowers being sidelined by higher rates or “stuck” in loans with historically low rates. “I have clients that bought three years ago, five years ago, and they might be sitting on, you know, $40,000, $60,000, or $75,000 in that short span of a potential equity gain.

Mortgages

Housing Wire

DECEMBER 4, 2024

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) announced last week that the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage ( HECM ) limit for 2025 will be $1,209,750. It’s the ninth straight year that the limit will increase based on home-price appreciation levels, which feeds into a single, national limit for all HECM loans.

Mortgages

Housing Wire

JANUARY 27, 2025

Integrated with ICEs industry-leading MSP loan servicing system , Servicing Digital provides homeowners with real-time access to detailed and personalized loan and property-related data anytime, anywhere. To help servicers boost retention and recapture strategies, ICE offers a mobile and web-based solution called Servicing Digital.

Equity

Housing Wire

OCTOBER 25, 2024

A new report from Zillow Home Loans outlines some key trends and factors for renters to consider when evaluating a home purchase. And according to Zillow Home Loans Senior Economist Orphe Divounguy, homeownership may be more within reach than most renters think. In some of the U.S.’s The typical rent is 3.4% The typical rent is 3.4%

Pre-approval

Housing Wire

JANUARY 22, 2025

Escrow accounts are required for conventional borrowers with 20% or less equity in their homes. Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan borrowers must maintain escrow accounts for the entire loan cycle, regardless of equity. After that, 70% had higher homeowners’ insurance and 57% had higher premiums.

FHA loan

Housing Wire

JANUARY 2, 2025

Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) endorsements saw a healthy increase in October 2024. to 2,392 loans for the month, according to data compiled by Reverse Market Insight (RMI). They are issued by HUD once a HECM loan application has been submitted to the agency. They jumped by 11.3% These case numbers increased 18.1%

Mortgages

Housing Wire

OCTOBER 29, 2024

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? On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, the national home price index posted a 4.2% gain year over year, less than the 4.8%

Mortgages

Housing Wire

MARCH 10, 2025

billion in equity. We want a customer to be able to check her phone to find out what she can afford, see which homes are just right for her, schedule a tour with a local, expert Redfin agent, and get pre-qualified for a loan, all in a matter of minutes. The deal is projected to boost Rockets adjusted earnings per share by late 2026.

Purchase and sale agreement

Housing Wire

NOVEMBER 13, 2024

The company also reported a funded loan volume of $1.035 billion for Q3 2024, up 42% year over year and up 8% quarter over quarter, with 71% of this volume attributed to purchase loans. million in cash, restricted cash, short-term investments and self-funded loans. The company’s earnings release noted a nonrecurring gain of $5.5

Mortgages

Housing Wire

NOVEMBER 21, 2024

In the summer of 2022, just after his wife’s 62nd birthday, qualifying age arrived and the loan closed roughly 24 hours later. A big reason for that is loan officers don’t always ask the right questions to understand the borrower’s real needs.” Nelson is now a reverse mortgage borrower in addition to being an industry professional.

Mortgages

Housing Wire

NOVEMBER 12, 2024

It also wants to widely deploy refreshed marketing strategies that are designed to both educate and appeal to older homeowners about the use of home equity in retirement. It also wants to widely deploy refreshed marketing strategies that are designed to both educate and appeal to older homeowners about the use of home equity in retirement.

Mortgages

Housing Wire

MARCH 31, 2025

billion , is paying an equity value of $9.4 To help finance the transaction, Rocket is taking out a nearly $5 billion bridge loan through JPMorgan Chase (which itself is a top-3 mortgage servicer and warehouse lender). billion in stock, the companies said in a statement early Monday morning. Coopers nearly 7 million clients.

Finance

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. ” “We will be reaching out to clients who have active loan applications with additional details and deadlines. million profit in Q4 2023.

Lending

Housing Wire

JULY 23, 2025

Borrowers had an average FICO score of 737 and an average loan-to-value ratio of 51% in Q2 2025. Chief financial officer Kurt Johnson noted the company is closely monitoring the Ginnie Mae segment, particularly Federal Housing Administration ( FHA ) loans, which comprise 15% of the portfolio. UWM is bringing its servicing in-house.

FHA loan

Housing Wire

JUNE 13, 2025

This is because traditional income verification requirements for government or government-sponsored loans, including those from Fannie, Freddie , or Ginnie Mae , may not be applicable. Additionally, third-party due diligence is conducted on 100% of the securitized loans, utilizing firms that have been reviewed and approved by S&P.

Due diligence

Housing Wire

MAY 21, 2025

The rising cost of homeowners insurance coupled with the rising regularity of weather-related natural disasters is serving to erode the longstanding barrier between mortgage lenders and loan losses, according to a new report published by First Street. Indirect economic pressures also pose serious risks. billion by 2035.

Principal

Housing Wire

OCTOBER 31, 2024

1, NerdWallet is paying $1 million in cash for the outstanding equity interests of Next Door. The Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS) shows that Michigan-based brokerage firm Next Door had 61 sponsored loan officers as of Thursday, along with four branches in Arizona, Nevada, Ohio and Texas. It is also offering $3.5

Lending

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 3, 2025

The suits accused EasyKnock of using a deceptive and unfair lending scheme to lure homeowners with poor credit, but with significant home equity, into unlawful, usurious loans known as Sell & Stay transactions. The platform shut down its operations in early December 2024.

Lending

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 11, 2025

The Oregon state senates Committee on Housing Development held a hearing last week on a piece of proposed legislation that seeks to limit the amount of equity a reverse mortgage lender can receive after the sale or transfer of a property. Senate Bill (SB) 534 is positioned primarily as a consumer protection measure.

Mortgages

Housing Wire

NOVEMBER 8, 2024

Sean Shallis, a “Recovering Realtor” and top-producing loan officer , is offering strategies to help realtors break through this stagnation by leveraging micro-market shifts to create urgency and inspire action. Renting may seem like the safe bet, but renting offers zero equity growth and misses out on the tax benefits of homeownership.

Marketing

Housing Wire

APRIL 14, 2025

Vishal Garg , founder and CEO of Better.com, said in a statement that the transaction rightsizes the companys liability structure, creating approximately $265 million of positive pre-tax equity value for the company and its shareholders, as well as a path to long-term value creation for our equity holders.

Equity

Housing Wire

APRIL 9, 2025

Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) related to the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage ( HECM ) program, there are four open recommendations according to a review by HousingWire ‘s Reverse Mortgage Daily (RMD). Three of them, however, are largely centered on the same issue.

Mortgages

Housing Wire

JUNE 30, 2025

For repeat buyers, the figure was significantly higher last year at 23% — a reflection of rising home equity over time. Financing options, misplaced guidance Conventional loans remain the most common path to homeownership , but many first-time buyers also turn to government financing. Another 9% used U.S.

VA loan