Douglas Elliman fires brokerage CEO Scott Durkin

Douglas Elliman continues to shake up its leadership team. In a document filed on Friday with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the firm announced the termination of Douglas Elliman Realty CEO Scott Durkin, as first reported by The New York Times.According to the filing, Durkin was “term
Read MoreThe Loan Store partners with Gateless for AI-powered mortgage underwriting

Mortgage technology company Gateless is offering its flagship automated underwriting platform to a new lender. The Loan Store — a wholesale lender based in Arizona — will now use the Gateless Smart Underwrite platform, according to a recent announcement.The artificial intelligence-based platform, th
Read MoreNew objection to NAR settlement targets business practice changes, plaintiffs’ attorneys fees

After previously taking issue with some of the forms generated as a result of the terms of the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) nationwide commission lawsuit settlement agreement, University of Buffalo law professor Tanya Monestier is now objecting to NAR’s settlement.In a document filed on M
Read MoreThe unexpected strength of home prices this year
We track inventory and home sales very closely, so the biggest surprise this year has been the resiliency of home prices. Given the unrelenting mortgage costs, generally weak homebuyer demand, and the year’s rising supply of unsold homes, I’ve been expecting home prices to recede a bit in the second
Read MoreFHFA expands fee-based alternative to repurchase loans to all approved lenders

On Monday, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced that all approved lenders will have access to a fee-based alternative to repurchase Freddie Mac’s performing loans with defects, expanding a pilot program launched earlier this year.In addition, the FHFA announced that government-sponsor
Read MoreFHLBank of New York expands credit access for underserved borrowers

In a significant move designed to expand homeownership access, the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York (FHLBNY) announced the adoption of an alternative credit scoring model to boost mortgage credit availability.The wholesale bank will now allow members to pledge mortgage collateral using the Vantage
Read MoreFHFA to allow alternative appraisal methods on purchases up to 97% LTV

The Federal Housing Finance Agency has expanded the eligibility for alternative appraisal methods on purchase loans by increasing the maximum loan-to-value (LTV) requirement. The announcement was made on Monday during the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) Annual Convention & Expo in Denver, Colorad
Read MoreWhether it’s Trump or Harris in office, MBA says it ‘knows how to stop bad ideas’

It might be fitting that Bob Broeksmit struck a more conciliatory tone during his speech to kick off MBA Annual than he did last year, when he said the mortgage trade organization was “playing offense” to “stop the madness.” After all, the general election is a little over a week away and the MBA ha
Read MoreAre you prepared to respond as borrower demand shifts?

Fluctuating interest rates and a fast-changing market Last month, we saw the Federal Reserve deliver their long-awaited decision to lower interest rates with a 50 basis points cut, and 30-year mortgage rates reached as low as 6.08% according to ICE’s 30-year fixed conforming rate index. This increas
Read MoreeXp Realty partners with Sisu to bring data insights to agents

In an environment where technology is increasingly becoming a recruitment tool for brokerages, eXp Realty has partnered with a data provider in an effort to give its agents an advantage over the competition.The brokerage on Monday announced a new partnership with Sisu, a real estate business intelli
Read MoreIs technology the problem, not the solution, in the mortgage industry?

The mortgage industry has long been promised a technological revolution to streamline workflows, reduce operational costs, and enhance efficiency. Yet, despite significant investments in new technologies, the cost to originate loans has dramatically increased. Companies still grapple with cyclical h
Read MoreMortgage market should improve to $2.3 trillion(!) in 2025, MBA says

The most challenging period for the mortgage industry appears to be in the rearview mirror, as the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) forecasts $2.3 trillion in origination volume for 2025—representing a robust 28.5% growth over 2024.“We are in a much better place now than a year ago. Let’s keep tha
Read MoreMajority of mortgage lenders likely turned a profit in Q3

The positive trend lines that saw nearly 80% of mortgage lenders turn a profit in the second quarter likely continued through the third quarter, according to Marina Walsh, the Mortgage Bankers Association‘s vice president of industry analysis. Though the survey on industry performance report for the
Read MoreHousing inventory fell last week. Have sellers called it quits?
Since mid-2022 when mortgage rates headed higher, two facts have been apparent: new listings data has been trending at the lowest levels ever recorded in history and inventory has been able to grow from record low levels thanks to mortgage rates staying elevated. We’ve seen some growth in new listin
Read MoreAfter feedback, ICE revises Encompass SDK transition timeline

Clients who wish to use ICE Mortgage Technology‘s legacy Software Development Kit (SDK) technology on Encompass will be afforded a six-month grace period from the original Oct. 31, 2025, transition deadline to the API-based platform before being charged. The company characterized the new transition
Read MoreUnison argues in court that its equity sharing agreement is not a reverse mortgage

In prior conversations with HousingWire’s Reverse Mortgage Daily (RMD), leaders of equity sharing companies contend that their products are different from reverse mortgages largely because they are not debt-based instruments.But a court case playing out in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Cir
Read MoreJeff Bell of Uplift talks leadership coaching and tech to ready for the refi wave

In the latest episode of the Power House podcast, HousingWire CEO Clayton Collins sits down for a conversation with Uplist President Jeff Bell to explore coaching, loan monitoring, recapture strategies and more.These questions and responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity. Clayton Co
Read MoreCould the NAR settlement be a blessing in disguise for VA buyers?

Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of articles that will explore the effects of the landmark Sitzer/Burnett case, which was decided on Oct. 31, 2023, and has since reshaped the business practices for real estate brokerages and agents across the country.As the real estate industry grappled
Read MoreNRMLA elects new board members, officers for 2025 term

The National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA) has elected its board officers and co-chairs for the 2024-2025 term, including a slate of new officers along with both new and returning co-chairs.Mike Kent, senior vice president of reverse asset management and industry relations at PHH Mort
Read MoreLuminate Home Loans to close NEO division

Minneapolis-based mortgage lender Luminate Home Loans has decided to shutter its NEO Home Loans division, which transitioned to the firm two years ago, the company announced on Friday. The expectation is that NEO will close by the end of February 2025. According to Luminate, the decision reflects, a
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