Friday, January 10, 2025

Industry Insight

What Does ‘Extraordinary Service’ Mean to You?

What does it take for a third-party provider in the mortgage industry to deliver top-notch customer service?

GSEs Announce New Initiatives as They Enter Tenth Year of Conservatorship

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are making some changes related to customer service and other issues in order to adapt to the changing consumer and new technologies.

Customer Pain Points Are Your Greatest Asset

Align sales, marketing and product development to better meet market needs.

New 30-Year Loan Program for Manufactured Homes Launched in New Hampshire

New Hampshire is one of the first states to pass legislation recognizing manufactured homes located in resident-owned communities as real property.

Three Things New Loan Officers Need in Order to Launch a Career

Forget the Rolodex - it's a whole new world.

Do Regulations Really Increase New Home Prices by 25 Percent?

Even if regulations do make things more expensive, perhaps it's a cost worth bearing.

What Do the 1985 Chicago Bears and Hedging Strategies Have in Common?

Hint: It's not the Superbowl Shuffle.

HUD Changes The Rules For HECMs, Again

Will these recent rule changes benefit borrowers? And will they help stem the losses in the MMIF?

Mortgage Industry Veterans and Startup Newbies: Learn to Collaborate

When each side admits that it might have something to learn from the other, that’s when interesting things start to happen.

First-Time Home Purchases at Highest Mark in Almost 20 Years

During the second quarter, first-timers accounted for 57% of all purchase mortgages originated.

Mortgages: Too Much Risk?

When it comes to mortgage production, balancing risk and reward is paramount.

Lenders React to Freddie Mac Policy Change Affecting 1% Down Programs

Does Freddie want to see borrowers have more "skin in the game"?

The Risks Associated with Unpaid Utility, Fire District and Sewer Bills

Simply making your borrowers aware that these types of bills are not escrowed could prevent problems.

Will The Gig Economy Change Mortgage Lending?

Potential borrowers are piecing together their incomes in new ways, and lending must keep pace.

A Primer on Subservicing Relationships

Organizations that are looking for mortgage servicing partners can assess a handful of key factors.

Blockchain: What Is It and Why Should Mortgage Lenders Care?

Blockchain provides unshakeable data preservation that guarantees the integrity and originality of mortgage-related documents.

What’s Behind the Mortgage Reshoring Trend?

Mortgage-related call centers and jobs are coming back to the U.S.

How Might the Fed’s ‘Quantitative Tightening’ Impact the Mortgage Market?

Shrinking the balance sheet is not that risky - it's how the process is managed that could cause market volatility.

Ocwen Facing Some Renewed – Even Recycled – Actions

The servicing giant is defending itself against familiar-sounding complaints and actions.

REO Rent-To-Own Model Falls Under Closer Scrutiny

REO-to-rental firms have helped banks and servicers liquidate tens of thousands of REO properties over the years - but the model is now under closer scrutiny.