New Home Sales Plummeted in August as Mortgage Rates Continued to Rise
New home sales dropped 8.7% in August compared with July, as the average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage hovered at around 7.2%, according...
Housing Starts Dropped in August as Mortgage Rates Soared
Housing starts dropped in August as mortgage rates hit new highs and affordability eroded for first-time homebuyers.
According to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau...
U.S. Home Prices Continued to Rise in July, Despite Higher Mortgage Rates
Driven by lack of inventory - and despite higher mortgage rates - U.S. home prices continued to increase in July, rising 0.4% compared with...
New Home Sales Jumped in April as Buyer Demand Remains Strong
New home sales increased 4.1% in April compared with March and were up 11.8% compared with April 2022, according to estimates from the U.S....
Maxwell Acquires LenderSelect Mortgage Group
At a time when the mortgage market is constricting and many big tech players are facing difficulties, some fintech solution providers - particularly those...
Mortgage Applications Jump as Rates Dip and Fed Indicates Easing
Mortgage application volume took a nice jump last week as mortgage rates dipped and the Fed gave strong indication that it could soon be...
Case-Shiller: U.S. Home Prices Increased in February Following Seven Straight Months of Declines
U.S. home prices increased 0.2% in February compared with January and were up only 2.0% compared with February 2022, according to the S&P CoreLogic...
LOs Must Establish Strong Customer Relationships Right From the Start
With the hope of a busy spring homebuying season, mortgage lenders are getting ready for new business. While the market still poses a challenge...
The Era of Super-Affordable Mortgages is Over: What’s Next in 2023?
As the mortgage industry moves into April 2023, a lot of things have already changed. The era of super-affordable mortgages is over, and new strategies...
The Benefits of Employment History Insights Amidst Volatile Labor Markets
Shifting borrower employment trends could mean incremental work for mortgage lenders when they are looking to find efficiencies.
This year, mortgage lenders have contended with...
California Court of Appeals Invalidates Default Interest Provision
Default interest is a hot button for borrowers, lenders, and the courts. Most courts inherently do not like default interest because they see it...
How Mortgage Servicers Can Navigate Rising ARMs Successfully
Adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) are making a comeback. In 2021, when the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate was 2.65%, there was little demand for ARMs....
Finding Growth with Loan Product Innovation
As the market continues to slow, lenders are finding the need to look beyond the traditional loan products that sold so well during the...
How Lenders Can Capitalize on a Resurgent Market for HELOCs
American homeowners are spending more time at home and are looking to upgrade the spaces where they spend most of their time. Fortunately, many...
How Lenders Can Utilize CRM to Grow Sales
As interest rates continue to rise and as call volume from potential borrowers declines, it is crucial for mortgage lenders to implement effective strategies...
Combatting the Challenges of Housing Affordability
Affordability in housing is top of mind for many both inside and outside of the mortgage industry. For many potential first-time homebuyers, the combination...
Rate of Critical Defects Fell Again in Q1, as Mortgage Lenders Prepare to Stretch...
The rate of critical defects in mortgage loans stood at 1.93% as of the end of the first quarter of 2022, down 0.2% compared...
Rate Lock Volume Increased in August But Remains Sharply Down From Last Year
Mortgage rate lock volume increased in August, due mainly to lower mortgage rates, but remains sharply down from a year ago.
Mortgage Capital Trading’s (MCT)...
Why a Better Services Strategy Solves a Mortgage Lender’s Inefficiency Problem
The resounding message at the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) Secondary Marketing Conference echoed what we heard loud and clear at this spring’s MBA Tech...
Reducing Disparity in the Minority Homeownership Rate
Driven mainly by the pandemic and subsequent demand for detached single-family homes, the U.S. homeownership rate jumped to 65.5% in 2020, an increase of...