Mortgage Rates Continue to Smash Records
Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey for the week ending August 6 shows that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 2.88 percent. This is...
Harry Gardner: RON Has Evolved From a ‘Nice-to-Have’ to ‘Must-Have’ Technology
For decades the mortgage industry has moving toward the day when the entire mortgage process is completely digital - that is to say, online...
Mortgage Rates Decrease, Average Rate for 30-Year Dips Below 3% Again
After rising slightly the previous week, mortgage rates decreased again during the week ended July 30, as the average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate...
Mortgage Applications Dip Slightly Following Four Weeks of Gains
Following four straight weeks of gains, mortgage application volume dipped 0.8% on an adjusted basis during the week ended July 24, according to the...
Home Price Appreciation Slowed to a Trickle in May
U.S. home prices eked out an increase in May, rising just 0.1% on an adjusted basis compared with April, according to the S&P CoreLogic...
Senate Confirms Wade As FHA Commissioner
The U.S. Senate has confirmed Dana Wade to serve as commissioner of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA).
“Dana has been a tremendous asset to the...
Jim McDonald: Lenders Must Focus on the Customer Experience
PERSON OF THE WEEK: With purchase volume expected to increase in the second half, mortgage lenders must stay focused on improving the customer experience,...
Plaza Home Mortgage Now Accepting Full E-Closings
Plaza Home Mortgage reports that it is now accepting full e-closings on all conventional Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac eligible loans originated in jurisdictions...
New Home Sales Continued to Rise in June
New home sales in June were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 776,000, an increase of 13.8% compared with 682,000 in May and...
LO Commissions Increased 59% Year-Over-Year in the Second Quarter
A significant increase in refinance volume in the second quarter resulted in a 59% increase in total loan originator (LO) commissions compared with the...
Mortgage Rates Increase Slightly But Remain at Historic Lows
After dropping for three consecutive weeks - each time to a new historic low - mortgage rates reversed course this week and increased slightly,...
Planet Home Lending Promotes Four to Vice President
Planet Home Lending, a national lender and servicer, has promoted four new vice presidents to support the company’s continued growth.
Michaelene Whyte has been promoted...
DocMagic and Simplifile Partner to Boost Digital Processes
DocMagic Inc. has partnered with real estate document collaboration and recording technology provider Simplifile to deliver new process efficiencies that further digitize the closing...
Dan Sogorka: Servicers Must Balance Human Touch with Self-Service Options
PERSON OF THE WEEK: Although the share of mortgages in COVID-19-related mortgage forbearance plans has been gradually decreasing in recent weeks, there are, nonetheless,...
Playing to Strengths, Positioning Your Loan Officers For Success
BLOG VIEW: Loan officers are a cornerstone of the mortgage industry, fulfilling an important, specialized role in the loan process. The most successful lenders...
FHA Revises Single-Family Servicing Policies to Help Homeowners Seeking Mortgage Payment Relief
The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has published proposed revisions to its single-family servicing policies that are designed to remove unnecessary barriers for homeowners seeking...
Ellie Mae: Purchase Market Rebounded in June
Interest rates on all closed loans continued to decline in June to 3.40%, down from 3.43% in May, according to the latest Origination Insight...
MortgageCountry Closing Loans in 13 Days Using DocMagic
MortgageCountry, a newly formed mortgage banker, has implemented DocMagic’s Total eClose platform and dynamic document preparation service.
Since its launch, MortgageCountry has set a new...
Elisha Werner: How Servicers Can Manage the Increase in Call Center Volume
PERSON OF THE WEEK: With more than 4 million homeowners now in COVID-19 forbearance plans and delinquencies on the rise, mortgage servicer call centers...
Mortgage Rates Fall to Yet Another Historic Low
Mortgage rates fell to a new low this week, with the average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at 2.98%, down from 3.03% the...