loanDepot settles appraisal bias lawsuit

loanDepot has settled a lawsuit filed by a Maryland couple accusing the firm of appraisal bias, ending a case that gained national attention two years ago. Court documents filed on March 22 show that the lender and plaintiffs Nathan Connolly and Shani Mott — the latter a scholar of Black studies at
Read MoreHome prices showed sustained growth in January

Home prices maintained their upward trajectory in the opening month of the year. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index posted a 6% annual gain in January, up from a 5.6% gain in December, according to a report released Tuesday. It was the seventh consecutive month of annual p
Read MoreMarcia Fudge talks HUD departure, why it’s time ‘to go home’

Marcia Fudge is now the former secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), having served her final day on Friday, March 22, after announcing her resignation just 11 days earlier. Adrianne Todman now serves as acting HUD secretary.In a recently published interview with NP
Read MoreHighTechLending adds Brian Boccia as key reverse mortgage specialist

California-based multichannel mortgage lender HighTechLending appointed reverse mortgage industry veteran Brian Boccia to serve as a senior account executive in its third-party origination (TPO) channel. He joins the company after prior experience at companies like Mutual of Omaha Mortgage and Rever
Read MoreEscalating insurance costs deepen housing affordability crunch: Freddie Mac

Fueled by a surge in mortgage rates, owning a home has become increasingly expensive. According to a Freddie Mac housing and mortgage market report released Monday, while mortgage payments remain the primary pressure point for homeowners, insurance costs are emerging as a growing burden.Homeowners i
Read MoreHomebuilders are still buying down rates to move houses

Today’s new home sales report shows the importance of lower rates. Last year, when mortgage rates were approaching 8%, people wondered if homebuilders could still buy down rates to boost sales. The answer is no: new home sales were hit as mortgage rates headed higher last year, which impacted the bu
Read MoreVA should expedite regulatory changes for agent commissions: CHLA

On the heels of the $418 million settlement recently announced by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), mortgage trade group Community Home Lenders of America (CHLA) has called on the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) to expedite regulatory change that would allow veterans and active-dut
Read MoreThese LOs are TikTok sensations. They call a potential ban “unfortunate”

It may be counterintuitive, but loan officer Scott Betley, a 32-year-old TikTok sensation, says he isn’t worried about a potential U.S. ban of the short-form video app.Betley, who has more than a decade of experience helping first-time and move-up buyers, joined NFM Lending as a loan officer in 2021
Read MoreWhere are home prices headed this spring?

Last week was a pretty strong week for all the housing numbers. New supply and sales numbers keep climbing — both weekly and over last year. Home prices had a slight increase this week across the board. What does this means for home prices this spring? As the data comes in each week this year, I’ve
Read MoreHousingWire journalist wins prestigious data journalism award

The Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing (SABEW) announced the winners of the 2023 Best in Business Awards, honoring excellence in business journalism from 2023.HousingWire journalist Will Robinson won the Data Journalism category for his data reporting series on the seismic changes in
Read More‘Don’t panic:’ KW executives address agent questions on NAR commission settlement

During a virtual open house hosted by Keller Williams to answer agent and broker questions about the settlements in the commission lawsuits, the overwhelming message was for real estate professionals to focus on what they can control.“Don’t panic. Remain calm, trust that you are in the right place a
Read MoreState Farm will not renew more than 70K property policies in California

Illinois-based State Farm General Insurance will not renew 72,000 residential property insurance policies in California, the company announced last week. The company is withdrawing completely from offering commercial apartment policies — which impact multifamily property owners, not renters insuranc
Read MoreMortgage rates helped by the Fed’s moderate stance
Mortgage rates had a chance to break to new highs this year, but the Federal Reserve took a moderate tone at the last Fed meeting. We saw the benefit of lower mortgage rates with the last two existing home sales reports, which showed growth. Then mortgage rates rose, facilitating five weeks of negat
Read MoreThe ultimate guide to real estate networking

Vetted by HousingWire | Our editors independently review the products we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission.Networking can be intimidating for some real estate agents. It is an extremely broad term that encompasses many types of activities — from attending speed ne
Read MoreOur 19-point house-hunting checklist for real estate agents & their clients

Vetted by HousingWire | Our editors independently review the products we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission.While buying a house is typically an exciting process for our clients, it can also be overwhelming. Part of our value as professional real estate agents is h
Read MoreCEO of property preservation company MCS on opportunities in reverse

Property preservation company MCS is entering the reverse mortgage space after its acquisition of Five Brothers Asset Management Solutions, a deal which brings MCS into the reverse mortgage industry for the first time. After performing its due diligence to determine the market status and business op
Read MoreAre reverse mortgages the most underutilized retirement tool?

Home equity levels among homeowners aged 62 and older are at record levels following the end of the pandemic. As a result, reverse mortgages may no longer be considered a “loan of last resort” as financial planners aim to highlight their uses as part of a comprehensive financial plan in retirement.T
Read MoreBorrowers continue to be resilient as mortgage delinquencies recede

Mortgage delinquencies improved again in February as prepayment activity increased moderately.The national delinquency rate eased to 3.34% in February, down from 3.38% in January, according to an Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) mortgage performance report released Thursday. February’s rate was also
Read MoreWashington state could provide guidance for others on buyer broker agreements

There is no doubt that the cooperative compensation structure changes outlined in the National Association of Realtors’ commission lawsuits settlement agreement will generate massive changes in the real estate industry, but those are not the only changes mandated by the terms of the agreement.Based
Read MoreHUD’s Innovative Housing Showcase offers ’highly interactive’ look at the industry

Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that it would be bringing back its Innovative Housing Showcase event to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on June 7-9. The event is designed to highlight housing solutions and “advancements in housing design
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