Top Headlines
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%
Ex-Ginnie Mae Chief Alanna McCargo to Lead FHLBank San Francisco
McCargo became Ginnie Mae’s 18th president and first female leader in December 2021. Continue Reading Ex-Ginnie Mae Chief Alanna McCargo to Lead FHLBank San Francisco
Feds Propose Rule for Real Estate Professionals to Report Potential Money Laundering
“Predicate offenses for money laundering through real estate continue to involve domestic and transnational activity,” said the Treasury report. Continue Reading Feds Propose Rule for Real Estate Professionals to Report Potential Money Laundering
Ryan Hardiman Promoted to President of Embrace Home Loans
Hardiman joined Embrace Home Loans in 2008 as a project manager. Continue Reading Ryan Hardiman Promoted to President of Embrace Home Loans
Household Debt Reached $17.5 Trillion in Q4 2023
Mortgage balances rose by $112 billion from the previous quarter and stood at $12.25 trillion at the end of December. Continue Reading Household Debt Reached $17.5 Trillion in Q4 2023
Don’t Forget to Budget for Closing Costs
Source: Keeping Current Matters --- When buying a home, it’s important to have a budget and make sure you plan ahead for certain homebuying expenses. Saving for a down payment is the main cost that comes to mind for many, but budgeting for the closing costs required...
Burst Past Your Production Plateau
Source: Scotsman Guide --- As a mortgage originator, your success is often measured by a single number: how many loans you’re closing in the current month. For better or worse, this number rules your thoughts, and it often reflects how you are treated by your company...
Single-Minded Focus
Source: Scotsman Guide --- Two kinds of activities, reactive and proactive, keep mortgage originators busy. Reactive activities are all about putting out fires. When you’re in reactive mode, you’re playing defense. Proactive activities are the things that bring in...
How does the FHFA 7% loan cap on GSEs affect originators?
Source: Housing Wire --- As you probably know by now, the Federal Housing and Finance Agency has limited GSEs to a 7% cap on loan purchases for second home and investment properties. This means that lenders who sell these types of loans to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac...
How appraisers value homes in a hot housing market
Source: Housing Wire --- Robin Sheridan, a real-estate broker with Compass Washington, recently listed a three-bedroom home in Seattle for $795,000. The 76-year-old brick home had what Sheridan considered a “funky layout,” with two rooms added to the back that didn’t...
Volume-hungry mortgage lenders loosen credit standards
Source: Housing Wire --- Mortgage credit availability increased by 2.2% in April as mortgage lenders fight for borrowers in an increasingly competitive market. The Mortgage Bankers Association said Tuesday that the Mortgage Credit Availability Index (MCAI) — which...
Experts Say Home Prices Will Continue to Appreciate
Source: Keeping Current Matters --- It’s clear that consumers are concerned about how quickly home values are rising. Many people fear the speed of appreciation may lead to a crash in prices later this year. In fact, Google reports that the search for “When is the...
Zillow Looks Ready to Dominate the Online Real Estate Market
Source: Barron's --- Zillow’s first-quarter results came in strongly ahead of estimates, as Premier Agent revenue growth accelerated again, amid continued housing-market tailwinds. The Homes segment also experienced strong growth and delivered another quarter of...
How hard is it to buy a home right now? “Beyond crazy and frustrating.”
Source: CBS News --- The pandemic-era real estate market has emerged as a windfall for sellers and a headache for buyers. A shortage of for-sale homes continues to boost prices across the nation by double-digits — and is pushing house hunters to go to extremes to win...
Mortgage rates remain under 3 percent for third week in a row
Source:The Washington Post --- At the start of the year, it looked like mortgage rates were headed nowhere but up. But lately, they have backslid. According to the latest data released Thursday by Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate average slipped to 2.96 percent...
