Government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) Freddie Mac on Wednesday announced further enhancements to its Condo Project Advisor tool that are designed to “streamline” such loan originations and to offer lenders “greater security” through a new designation, according to an announcement.“This designation,

CBC Mortgage Agency – a federally chartered housing finance agency – will offer two temporary rate buydown features for its down payment assistance (DPA) program for Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans.The agency is the first to provide either a 2-1 rate buydown or a 1-0 rate buydown on a DPA

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on Wednesday made a series of new climate policy announcements at the 28th United Nations (U.N.) Climate Conference (COP28).These include the launch of a free water and energy benchmarking service for HUD-assisted multifamily properties and

Miami-based fintech provider LoanPASS integrated Uplist’s suite of home-shopping tools into its pricing engine, the company announced in November.The partnership will boost loan officers’ capacity to deliver personalized, efficient and tech-powered solutions directly to their clients and agents.The

More home sellers on the East Coast are getting in on the commission lawsuit action. Plaintiffs in Florida and Pennsylvania filed lawsuits on Monday, accusing real estate industry players of allegedly colluding to artificially inflate real estate agent commissions. Both lawsuits are seeking class-ac

Flat-fee real estate brokerage Fathom Realty will hike its agent fees in 2024 to bolster the company’s revenue by more than $3 million next year.The brokerage will implement two main changes to its fee structure, effective on Jan. 1. First, there will be an increase of $100, from $600 to 700, in age

Pennymac Financial Services is the latest mortgage company to issue debt in a challenging housing market. The California-based company announced on Wednesday it intends to offer a $650 million aggregate principal amount of senior notes due in 2029. “Proceeds from the offering will be used to repay a

Vetted by HousingWire  |  Our editors independently review the products we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission.As we edge towards 2024, the real estate landscape buzzes with both opportunities and uncertainties. With home prices expected to hold steady and even grow i

The Community Home Lenders of America (CHLA) submitted a letter to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) expressing its support for the use of attorney opinion letters (AOLs) on Wednesday.In the letter addressed to FHFA Director Sandra Thompson, the CHLA says that it supports the use of AOLs in

In September 2022, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate averaged 6.1%, according to Freddie Mac data. Fast-forward one year, and the rate averaged 7.2%, an expensive difference for many homebuyers (rates have since started to drop).But compare mortgage delinquencies over the same period: 2.8% in Septembe

Housing Forward, the leading organization fighting homelessness in Dallas, appointed Sarah Kahn as interim president and chief executive officer, the nonprofit announced on Tuesday.Kahn starts her new role on Dec. 21. Her appointment comes on the heels of former president and CEO Joli Angel Robinson

In the third quarter of 2023, single-family and multifamily home construction grew in outlying areas instead of urban centers.That’s according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Home Building Geography Index (HBGI). Released quarterly, the HBGI gauges housing construction growth in

The now defunct First Guaranty Mortgage Corporation (FGMC) and former employees – who sued the mortgage lender in a class-action suit after an abrupt layoff – are seeking a Delaware bankruptcy judge to settle a Worker Adjustment Retraining Notification (WARN) Act lawsuit for $1.75 million.In June 20

California-based Pennymac Financial Services’s broker division, Pennymac TPO, launched a home equity loan product as tappable home equity nears its 2022 peak.“Pennymac’s broker partners can now offer their clients a home equity loan as a second lien solution to access more cash, while still preservi

Residential sale-leaseback platform EasyKnock has acquired home equity investment platform Balance Homes, the company announced on Tuesday. The latest acquisition comes on the heels of a series of other proptech startup purchases. Last May, EasyKnock gobbled up Ribbon, a power buyer firm, and in Sep

The National Association of Realtor’s ongoing battle with the Department of Justice is heating up again. On Friday, a three-judge appellate court panel in Washington, D.C. heard oral arguments from both NAR and the DOJ, over whether the federal agency will be able to reopen its probe into the trade

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) has a new chief marketing and communications officer. The trade group announced Tuesday that Suzanne Bouhia would lead NAR’s marketing and communications group starting Dec. 11.Bouhia is joining NAR’s senior vice president team, which is responsible for sup

Industry veteran Adam O’Daniel is transitioning to Guild Mortgage as senior vice president and chief marketing officer, a newly created role, after about two years at Open Mortgage, the company announced on Tuesday. “We’re going to expand Guild’s brand presence nationally, deliver best-in-class mark

"Combining a laundry room with a mudroom is a natural step for homes that see a lot of mess at an entry," observed Mitchell Parker, senior editor for Houzz.

An arbitrator conclusion issued last week caps a four-year legal battle over allegations of trade secret theft involving two of the biggest companies in the housing industry, Black Knight Servicing Technologies and PennyMac Financial Services. In a 2019 lawsuit, Black Knight accused Pennymac of copy