Roughly 24 hours after filing an objection to the U.S. government’s motion to stop the gathering of evidence in a case against Ginnie Mae, Texas Capital Bank (TCB) responded to the government’s attempt to dismiss the entirety of the bank’s complaint. The case stems from Ginnie Mae’s extinguishment of Reverse Mortgage Funding (RMF) from its […]
In December 2023, a startling rumor started to spread on social media — that large institutional buyers had purchased 44% of the available homes on the market in 2023, leaving policymakers concerned with the potentially predatory grip of these entities. HousingWire lead analyst Logan Mohtashami immediately debunked the claim. In fact, a recent study published […]
Middle-income Americans who are 75 and older are at serious risk of a retirement crisis, according to a new research brief from the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago. “Our cumulative research has projected an impending crisis without a clear policy solution: a majority of middle-income older adults will be unlikely […]
Mortgage servicers, regulators and economists are closely watching the delinquency rates for Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans following a spike in the fourth quarter of 2023. Industry experts say that although there’s a correlation between unemployment and delinquency rates, some homeownership costs — including insurance — have increased significantly over the past two or three […]
The year 2024 has started with cautious optimism that mortgage rates will drop, sparking much-needed activity in the sluggish U.S. housing market. Mortgage rates, however, have been on a rising trend of late. Recent data shows that the economy is booming, while the Federal Reserve is signaling that it will take its time before cutting […]
Less than 24 hours after announcing Nick Bailey’s departure from the firm, RE/MAX executives found themselves on a call with investors and analysts to discuss the company’s fourth-quarter and full year 2023 earnings. In his opening remarks, Erik Carlson, who was named CEO of RE/MAX Holdings in November, mentioned the promotions of Amy Lessinger, who […]
For many real estate agents, a logical step on their path of professional development is becoming a real estate broker, then working as either a managing broker or a broker-owner. However, unlike other industries where promotion to the management level is generally tied to additional income, some brokers find themselves struggling to perform at the […]
Revenue rose at eXp World Holdings during the fourth quarter of 2023, but the firm was unable to overcome a slow housing market, resulting in a $21 million loss and slower agent count growth. Revenue at the parent company of eXp Realty was up 5% year-over-year to $983 million during the fourth quarter of 2023, […]
We got a great existing home sales report on Thursday, but is this data already too old? Existing home sales showed a jump in sales, which was anticipated by most as we had positive, forward-looking housing data due to mortgage rates falling from 8.03% to 6.63%. However, the last four weeks have had negative trending […]
Technology is at the core of everyday real estate operations. However, recent data breaches involving major players like loanDepot, First American Financial, and others have shed light on the vulnerability of sensitive information within the industry. Many personal dreams and aspirations take shape in our industry, so safeguarding information is essential. Real estate professionals handle a plethora […]
Late last year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) announced the launch of an inquiry into Ginnie Mae’s monitoring of now-bankrupt lender Reverse Mortgage Funding (RMF), and its extinguishment from the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM)-backed Securities (HMBS) program. While the office has not yet issued […]
Despite slower housing market conditions, Big Four title firms Stewart, First American and Fidelity National Financial all managed to earn profits in 2023. Stewart, which reported its earnings earlier in February, posted a revenue of $2.26 billion in 2023 and a net income of $30.4 million. Both figures were down significantly from 2022 when it […]
Nick Bailey is leaving RE/MAX. The firm announced the departure of its CEO and president on Thursday, along with its Q4 2023 and full year earnings. No reason was given for the departure. To fill Bailey’s vacant position, RE/MAX has promoted Amy Lessinger to president. Abby Lee and Susie Winders also received promotions, with Lee […]
Government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) Fannie Mae announced on Thursday the appointment of Peter Akwaboah as executive vice president and chief operating officer, effective May 20, 2024. Akwaboah, who is currently serving as COO for technology and global head of innovation at Morgan Stanley, has nearly 30 years of experience in the financial services industry. He will […]
Recent cyberattacks at mortgage companies have put the industry in alert mode, executives at top lenders, servicers, tech vendors and investors told HousingWire. Mr. Cooper Group, loanDepot, First American and Fidelity National Financial Inc., parent of servicer LoanCare, have temporarily shut down their systems to contain cyberattacks that exposed their customers’ data. Executives don’t have […]
Rocket Companies, the parent of Rocket Mortgage, wasn’t immune to the headwinds the industry is facing as it reported a GAAP net loss of $390 million in 2023 and an adjusted net loss of $143 million. Yet the company still captured market share, a testament to how poor the mortgage business has been over the […]
