Loan Factory sued by originators for alleged use of unauthorized information

California-based mortgage brokerage Loan Factory was sued by a class of loan originators, who allege that the company used their personal and professional information, without their authorization, on its website in an attempt to drive business.Loan officer Derek Daniel Bobadilla and the class member
Read MoreIndiana’s housing market is primed to bounce back in 2024

Last year was a tough one for the Indiana real estate market.“Sales from 2022 to 2023 were down 14%,” Mark Fischer, the CEO of the Indiana Realtors Association, said. “We were up year over year in inventory, but we were at a 25 year low on new listings.”But as the calendar flipped to 2024 and as we
Read MoreOpinion: Improving housing affordability without exposing homebuyers to more risk

It is no secret that there is a housing affordability challenge in the U.S. According to the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) Housing Affordability Index, since spring of last year, a typical family with a median income have not been able to afford a median-priced home. While mortgage rates w
Read MoreMagistrate judge recommends $46M in restitution from former Live Well CEO

After attorneys made their cases for both the U.S. government and former Live Well Financial CEO Michael Hild regarding a restitution amount owed to the company’s creditors, a magistrate judge overseeing the issue has recommended that Hild pay more than $46 million.The final amount will be determine
Read MoreAnnouncing HousingWire’s 2024 Finance Leaders

HousingWire is excited to introduce the winners of the 2024 Finance Leaders award, recognizing the top finance executives in housing who are driving financial performance, expanding margins, improving liquidity and helping their businesses access the capital markets. In its 4th year, 40 honorees wer
Read MoreTrade groups commend Fannie Mae’s newest step to address buybacks

Mortgage trade groups have commended the moves taken by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) to address a spike in loan buybacks — the latest being a new electronic notification made available by Fannie Mae. But advocates also say more is needed t
Read MorePostilio and Conlon move to Compass, plan to expand beyond NYC

Compass has added two top New York City agents, Tom Postilio and Mickey Conlon, to its roster, the company announced on Thursday.The pair joined Compass after spending almost nine years at Douglas Elliman, where they were founding members of the sports and entertainment division. Postilio and Conlon
Read More‘Will your wins’: Luxury agents share tips for breaking into the high-end market

Real estate agents gathered at the Palladium Theater in New York City’s Times Square on Thursday to learn networking and lead generation strategies from some of the nation’s top luxury real estate agents at the Goldbar Live conference.While every real estate professional had their own nuggets of adv
Read MoreOpendoor officially launches partnership with eXp

Opendoor and eXp Realty officially launched their new partnership on Thursday, Inman first reported. This integration is making Opendoor cash-offer solutions available to eXp Realty’s nearly 90,000 agents.Last October, the iBuyer announced that it was teaming up with eXp Realty to be the primary cas
Read MoreFewer housing permits equate to further inventory, affordability challenges

While the number of new homes rose by 4.2% in the U.S. last year, this was primarily led by a 22% increase in the multifamily sector. Single-family housing permits, meanwhile, slowed in 70% of U.S. metropolitan areas, which could forecast more challenges ahead for an already strained level of supply
Read MoreHigh-volume Chhabra Group joins eXp

Sahil Chhabra is bringing his 21-agent team, the Chhabra Group, to eXp, as a so-called “mega team,” the brokerage announced on Thursday. Based in Calgary, Alberta, the Chhabra Group was previously affiliated with RE/MAX. Conversations with eXp top producers Justin Havre and Ibrahim Hussein informed
Read MoreLiberty Reverse Mortgage hit with class-action suit alleging violation of California labor laws

Liberty Reverse Mortgage, a top 10 reverse mortgage lender owned by Ocwen Financial Corp. and its subsidiary PHH Mortgage Corp., allegedly violated California labor laws by failing to provide employees with rest breaks, meal breaks and appropriate compensation for off-the-clock and overtime work, ac
Read MoreFHFA sets transition to new credit models for late 2025

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced on Thursday that the transition to new credit score requirements is expected to occur in the fourth quarter of 2025, a decision commended by the mortgage industry. That’s when the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac w
Read MoreNew School economist calls for a ‘Gray New Deal’ for retirees

Economics professor Teresa Ghilarducci of The New School in New York recently painted a dire picture of the retirement situation in the U.S., calling on policymakers to enact what she calls a “Gray New Deal,” recalling the economic relief and stimulus efforts of President Franklin D. Roosevelt imple
Read MoreMortgage rates flirt with 7% mark again

Mortgage rates continued to trend up this week and dampen homebuyer momentum.The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.94% as of Feb. 29, an increase from last week’s figure of 6.90%, according to Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey released on Thursday. Meanwhile, the 15-year fixed rate a
Read MoreWhy Happy Grasshopper CEO Dan Stewart is so chill

Editor in Chief Sarah Wheeler sat down with Dan Stewart, founder and CEO of Happy Grasshopper, to talk about the company’s tech strategy in creating content that resonates with consumers. Storytelling is key to the company’s success and Stewart’s own story explains how he stays cool in any market cy
Read MoreTrade groups have differing stances on government’s affordable housing plan

Shortly after the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the White House announced plans to extend the Federal Financing Bank (FFB) risk-sharing program, two prominent housing associations shared their differing perspectives on the move.In a series of policy announcements designe
Read MoreHome buyers need to earn $47,000 more than in 2020

11 real estate social media marketing strategies that actually work

If you’re struggling to market your business on social media, or worse, haven’t even started yet, you might be in for a rude awakening in 2024. While you were pulling your hair out trying to come up with the perfect post idea, other agents in your farm area just…did it. Sure, they made mistakes, but
Read MoreHoward Hanna partners with Zillow on AI tool for agents

Independent brokerage Howard Hanna Real Estate Services has partnered with Zillow’s ShowingTime+ to allow agents in the Cleveland and Pittsburgh areas to leverage the Listing Showcase tool.Launched in June 2023, Listing Showcase is an AI-powered listing tool available exclusively on Zillow. It enabl
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