Holding company Better Home & Finance hired Chad Smith to be the president and chief operating officer of its mortgage business, it announced on Friday. Kevin Ryan, who previously held the position of president, will continue serving the company as chief financial officer. Before joining Better, ind

New York-based assumable mortgage platform Roam rolled out a new partnership with national lender Spring EQ to provide second-lien loans to Roam customers, the company announced on Thursday. The new service, Roam Boost, will cater to people with credit scores of at least 640 and down payments of at

In the competitive world of real estate, where countless sources offer strategies to help agents generate more leads and drive business growth, a simple but often overlooked method stands out: rental properties.According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s most recent Rental Housing Finance Survey, there ar

In March, we explored the difference between Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) “expected rates” and “note rates” and why most reverse mortgages depend on these two interest rates. In April, we specifically focused on expected rates. We showed that when expected rates increase and round up to th

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed a bill into law this week that changes certain requirements for the state’s reverse mortgage borrowers, a move that the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA) says could save money on closing costs.The new law, House Bill (HB) 7073, changes the way

The National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) board of directors voted to leave member dues unchanged in 2025. The vote occurred Thursday during the final day of NAR’s midyear conference, the Realtors Legislative Meetings, according to Inman, which first reported the story.During the meeting, NAR’s bo

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and Freedom Mortgage were handed minor setbacks by the presiding and magistrate judges, respectively, in a case that the regulator brought in widespread violations in its 2020 submission of Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data. The development was

Kiavi, one of the nation’s largest private lenders for residential real estate investors, closed a $300 million unrated securitization of residential transition loans (RTLs), the company announced on Friday. The loans bundled in the securitization were mostly investment property loans used for fix-a

Sam Valverde, formerly the principal executive vice president of government-owned corporation Ginnie Mae, was named as its acting president as of May 6, according to an announcement issued by the organization this week.Sam ValverdeValverde succeeds Alanna McCargo, who began serving as Ginnie Mae pre

The Real Brokerage welcomes Texas-based independent brokerage The Property Shop, led by Season Ware, the company announced on Friday. The Property Shop joined Real under its Private Label program, which allows independent brokerages to maintain their own brand while reaping the benefits associated w

Guild Holdings Company, parent company of Guild Mortgage, recorded a 6% increase in mortgage originations and much higher revenue levels in the first quarter of 2024 than in 2023. Net income saw substantial improvements as the company continues to pursue an active acquisition strategy, according to

Despite a challenging operating environment and broader concerns among industry professionals about connecting with new borrowers, the reverse mortgage industry’s key performance indicators showed improvements last month.Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) endorsements increased by 2.3% to 2,105,

Despite the necessary requirement for a homeowner to maintain insurance on their property for protection against human- and naturally-occurring disasters, the impacts of climate change are creating “natural” scenarios that are increasingly not covered by insurance.Such instances are accelerating in

Portside Real Estate Group, led by Dava Davin, has acquired Lakepoint Real Estate, led by industry veteran Dan McCarron, the company announced on Wednesday.It is the second company that Portside has acquired. In 2018, the brokerage onboarded RE/MAX Heritage in Yarmouth, Maine, led by Mike Lepage.As

Rocket Companies, the parent company of Rocket Mortgage, hired its first chief technology officer this week, bringing former Thomson Reuters and Intel executive Shawn Malhotra into the fold. The hire is Rocket’s latest move to bolster its already robust investment in artificial intelligence.Varun Kr

Social Security is often the centerpiece of seniors’ fixed income in later life, and while predictions remain limited for the life of the program’s trust fund, there was some good news recently from the Social Security Board of Trustees this week: the fund will last a year longer than predicted in 2

Mortgage tech firm Blend Labs reported another loss in the first quarter of 2024, but its executives remain confident the company will deliver profits by the end of this year. To reach this goal, the company recently received a $150 million injection from private equity firm Haveli Investments and p

After months of uncertainty, the real estate industry has a reason to celebrate, at least a little bit. Judge Stephen Bough on Thursday granted final approval to the commission lawsuit settlement agreements reached by Anywhere, RE/MAX and Keller Williams.The settlement agreement will become effectiv

UWM Holdings Corp., the parent of United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM), returned to profitability in the first quarter of 2024 despite higher rates, a lack of inventory and a decline in the fair value of its mortgage servicing rights (MSRs). The quarter’s positive performance was supported by increased o

Robert Reffkin is confident that Compass and its agents have what it takes to continue growing and succeeding in the changing real estate environment.“In down markets, the best agents and the best brokerages gain market share,” Reffkin, the CEO of Compass, told investors and analysts during his firm