article thumbnail

Mortgage lender AmeriFirst Financial files for bankruptcy

Housing Wire

filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Delaware, just two months after it got back into the forward mortgage origination business. Bankruptcy Court for Delaware. Other creditors in the AmeriFirst bankruptcy with unsecured claims exceeding $500,000 include – RCP Customized Credit Fund ($5.97 million, court pleadings show.

article thumbnail

“Last night, my Uber driver was a loan officer.”

Housing Wire

The steady drumbeat of dour news in the mortgage industry punctuated by headlines announcing layoffs and closures among the ranks of independent mortgage banks continues to play out, with several lenders over the last two weeks adding to the torrent of pink slips. Charting the loan officer exit.

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

Wells Fargo pays $96M to settle LO comp lawsuit

Housing Wire

The lawsuit, which combined two legal actions that were designated a class action, was filed on behalf of 5,377 loan officers and other mortgage staffers employed by the bank in California from 2013 and 2019. James Kang, the lead plaintiff, said Wells Fargo illegally clawed back compensation.

article thumbnail

RESPA enforcement is back — are you ready?

Housing Wire

“I think folks tend to get creative and take a bit more risk than they might be willing to take in a market where rates are lower,” Holly Bunting, a partner at Mayer Brown in the areas of residential mortgage banking and consumer finance, said in an interview. For lenders and brokerages, the risks of LOs or agents overstepping are high.

article thumbnail

Fannie Mae’s chief economist on housing market outlook

Housing Wire

While the central bank left the benchmark rate unchanged in the target range of 5.25%-5.5% Elevated mortgage rates will lead to more lenders spilling red ink in the latter half of the year, in contrast to the improved financial performance of independent mortgage banks in Q2. Kim: Bankruptcies and layoffs are still happening.

FHA loan 418
article thumbnail

Did Michael Strauss, accused of fraud, just start a new mortgage company?

Housing Wire

The lawsuits quickly came pouring in, but Strauss never did seek bankruptcy protection for Sprout or its affiliates. The mystery as to what happened to its loan pipeline and funding endure. There were no severance packages, and even health insurance was canceled retroactive to May 2022, leaving some on the hook for huge medical bills.

Mortgages 392
article thumbnail

The 2022 housing market: A tale of two halves

Housing Wire

Other smaller lenders, including real estate tech startup Reali and Sprout Mortgage , shuttered, while First Guaranty Mortgage Corp filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. non-Bank financial institutions at Fitch Ratings. Those who joined during the refi boom or didn’t build referral relationships have permanently exited the industry.

Equity 490