Top Headlines

Volume-hungry mortgage lenders loosen credit standards

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

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

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...

Mortgage rates remain under 3 percent for third week in a row

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...

Desperate buyers are going to extremes to land a home

Desperate buyers are going to extremes to land a home

Source: CNN --- With the inventory of homes for sale historically low and prices higher than ever, the battle to buy a home has been taken to a whole new level. The number of available homes to buy in April dropped by 40% from a year ago and 50% from 2019, according...

What Is a Wraparound Loan, and Is It Right for You?

What Is a Wraparound Loan, and Is It Right for You?

Source: Realtor . Com --- While home buyers might hope that they will qualify for a mortgage from the usual financial institutions, like a bank, they may find that their spotty credit score is an obstacle that prevents them from qualifying. What then? One Plan B may...

FHFA finalizes rule on living wills for Fannie and Freddie

FHFA finalizes rule on living wills for Fannie and Freddie

Source: Housing Wire --- The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) finalized a rule on Monday that will require Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to develop plans that would ensure upon their eventual exit from conservatorship, they won’t do any large scale harm to the...

Lenders, economists question first-time homebuyer bills

Lenders, economists question first-time homebuyer bills

Source: Housing Wire --- While the first-time homebuyers welcomed news of a down payment assistance grant or tax credit, the mortgage industry and housing experts expressed deep skepticism. Two proposals under consideration in Congress aim to give first-time...