Top Headlines
MBA: Home Equity Lending Volume Remains Relatively Flat
Total originations of open-ended HELOCs and closed-end home equity loans increased to $2.13 billion per company in 2023. Continue Reading MBA: Home Equity Lending Volume Remains Relatively Flat
Leadership Shifts at SmartRent
John Dorman, the board’s lead independent director, has been appointed chairman of the board. Continue Reading Leadership Shifts at SmartRent
Jeffrey Jackson, President of the Orange County Association of Realtors, Dies at 65
Jackson was a senior risk manager at Realty One Group. Continue Reading Jeffrey Jackson, President of the Orange County Association of Realtors, Dies at 65
Commissions Lawsuit Settlements Face Delay from Plaintiffs in Another Case
The plaintiffs in the Batton 1 lawsuit in Illinois are trying to block final approval of the Sitzer/Burnett settlements. Continue Reading Commissions Lawsuit Settlements Face Delay from Plaintiffs in Another Case
Travelers to Raise California Homeowner Insurance Rates by 15%
On average, California homeowners pay $1,452 a year for home insurance coverage. Continue Reading Travelers to Raise California Homeowner Insurance Rates by 15%
Mortgage Rates in September: A Smooth Ride, Then Turbulence
Source: Nerd Wallet --- September mortgage rates forecast Interest rates on fixed-rate mortgages are likely to remain fairly stable in the first three weeks of September. The forecast gets murkier at the end of the month. That's because the Federal Reserve will...
‘Sugar Hit’: Banks Benefit As Savings Rate Rises Lag Mortgages
Source: News AZI --- Macquarie analyst Victor German last week said deposit pricing was giving banks a “sugar hit,” at the same time as loan growth in their mortgage businesses slowed. “In the short term, banks continue to benefit from highly lucrative retail deposit...
Everything to know about reverse mortgages
Source: CBS News --- If you're struggling with the rising costs of inflation, tapping your home equity may provide some relief. With products like cash-out refinances, home equity loans or HELOCs, you can turn that equity into cash and use it for any purpose — whether...
US mortgage lenders are starting to go bankrupt — how this one factor could be triggering the worst surge of failures since 2008
Source: Yahoo --- The real estate market just can’t catch a break, with inventory of resale homes remaining low and rising interest rates making it harder for buyers to justify making the leap. And now we can add mortgage lender bankruptcies — and the rise (and fall)...
Want to Back Out of a Home Purchase? Here’s What You Need to Know
Source: Motley Fool --- At one point, the housing market was so hot and buyers were so desperate to purchase homes that they were willing to go to different extremes to get an offer accepted. Those included making offers without actually seeing homes in person and...
9 Steps to Getting the Perfect Mortgage as Rates Rise
Source: The Motley Fool --- During the heart of the pandemic, qualifying for an affordable loan was pretty easy for most home buyers. Rates repeatedly hit record lows and it was possible to get a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage for under 3.00% if you had reasonable...
Strong demand for mortgages
Source: Ekathimerini.com --- Demand for housing loans has continued unabated after the January-June semester, as after a long lull over previous years, households are scrambling to meet their housing needs while securing the long-term low fixed interest rates that...
What’s considered luxury real estate?
Source: Bankrate --- You’ve thumbed the glossary magazines, scanned the listings pics, binge-watched all the residential real estate shows. And still, you’re not sure what counts as luxury real estate, exactly. Is it a property priced at $1 million-plus? A home with...
US housing markets are slowing. Is Florida the exception?
Source: Tampa Bay Times --- After two years of near-nonstop growth, housing prices may have finally peaked in some U.S. cities, according to data from Florida Atlantic University. Still, experts predict that Florida’s real estate market will remain strong compared to...
Economist Joseph Stiglitz says there are 3 reasons why further Fed rate hikes might make inflation worse
Source: CNBC --- Federal Reserve officials have spent the last week indicating rate hikes will continue in order to bring down rising prices — but this risks intensifying inflationary pressures, according to a Nobel Prize-winning economist. “The real worry in my mind...













