After attorneys made their cases for both the U.S. government and former Live Well Financial CEO Michael Hild regarding a restitution amount owed to the company’s creditors, a magistrate judge overseeing the issue has recommended that Hild pay more than $46 million. The final amount will be determined by the trial judge. The funds will […]
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on Friday that it has lowered the interest rates for its single-family housing (SFH) direct home loan programs as of March 1, according to an email update sent out earlier this week. Section 502 SFH Direct rates are now 4.5%, SFH non-program rates are now 5% and Section […]
By and large, homeowners who are 60 and older love where they live and have a preference to age in place. They may also see the equity in their homes as a “financial reserve” and are generally confident in their retirement plans, but they are far less interested in employing their home equity in retirement. […]
While the number of new homes rose by 4.2% in the U.S. last year, this was primarily led by a 22% increase in the multifamily sector. Single-family housing permits, meanwhile, slowed in 70% of U.S. metropolitan areas, which could forecast more challenges ahead for an already strained level of supply. This is according to an […]
Shortly after the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the White House announced plans to extend the Federal Financing Bank (FFB) risk-sharing program, two prominent housing associations shared their differing perspectives on the move. In a series of policy announcements designed to address housing supply and affordability, HUD, the U.S. Department of […]
Liberty Reverse Mortgage, a top 10 reverse mortgage lender owned by Ocwen Financial Corp. and its subsidiary PHH Mortgage Corp., allegedly violated California labor laws by failing to provide employees with rest breaks, meal breaks and appropriate compensation for off-the-clock and overtime work, according to a newly filed class-action lawsuit. The suit, filed by former […]
Economics professor Teresa Ghilarducci of The New School in New York recently painted a dire picture of the retirement situation in the U.S., calling on policymakers to enact what she calls a “Gray New Deal,” recalling the economic relief and stimulus efforts of President Franklin D. Roosevelt implemented during the Great Depression. Speaking in Washington, […]
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on Thursday unveiled a series of new policies that are designed to boost housing supply and affordability across the country, according to HUD and White House officials. Stemming from a housing supply action plan unveiled by the White House in 2022 and a subsequent “Renter’s Bill […]
The Marin County Board of Supervisors in Northern California on Tuesday approved reduced fees to build accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in unincorporated parts of the county, according to an announcement by county officials. Marin County is situated across the Golden Gate Bridge, north of San Francisco. It is a notoriously expensive housing market and maintains […]
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced this week that they have filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, supporting plaintiffs that allege unlawful fees imposed by Ocwen Loan Servicing, a division of Ocwen Financial Corp. The case involves plaintiffs Sheryl Glover […]
Ellington Financial, parent company of top 10 reverse mortgage lender Longbridge Financial, reported a lower economic return for the fourth quarter of 2023, which was partially driven by net losses from Longbridge “and other positions,” according to CEO Laurence Penn. Penn added, however, that Longbridge is in the process of regaining profitability, and some of […]
Seniors who have employed some kind of home-based health care service have a higher acceptance and adoption of home-based hospice services, which can provide personalized support for end-of-life care, according to a study by Rutgers University’s School of Nursing. The findings were first reported by Hospice News. Published in the Journal of Palliative Medicine, researchers […]
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) this week announced the awarding of more than $14.5 million that will be distributed by public housing agencies (PHAs) across the country in an effort to house veterans. The funds will be distributed by the PHAs through more […]
Ocwen Financial Corp., parent company of PHH Mortgage Corp. and its subsidiary Liberty Reverse Mortgage, posted a $64 million loss in 2023 but sees a generally positive trajectory for its reverse mortgage origination and servicing businesses. This is according to an earnings release and conference call detailing the company’s fourth-quarter and full year 2023 results. […]
Reverse mortgage loan originators all seem to agree that 2024 is off to a better overall start in business than a tepid 2023 might suggest. This is also an adage that is holding true in some of the nation’s more expensive housing markets including California, Florida and Washington State, according to reverse mortgage professionals in […]
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on Monday announced new agreements between HUD, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to manage dangerous exposures to lead. One of the memorandums of understanding (MOUs) “expands, updates, and […]
More U.S. seniors are working today than ever before, a trend marked either by older Americans choosing not to retire, or choosing to actually rejoin the workforce after an initial retirement. This year is also set to see the U.S. population grow older at a faster rate. The trend was the subject of a recent […]
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on Friday announced a series of funding opportunities totaling roughly $3.86 million, which will go toward organizations aiming to boost housing inventory and availability through methods including off-site construction and office-to-residential conversions. “As we’re seeing more and more, our nation’s housing stock does not meet the […]
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 […]
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 […]
