Lisa Cook loan docs listing ‘vacation home’ seem to undermine mortgage fraud claims

Mortgage documents have been at the center of an effort by President Donald Trump to fire Fed Governor Lisa Cook over alleged mortgage fraud, but a loan estimate from 2021, first seen and reported by Reuters on Friday, seems to undermine those allegations. The loan estimate for an Atlanta condo Cook

Midwest housing markets defy national days on market trends

Midwest housing markets are demonstrating remarkable resilience against the national trend of extended Days on Market (DOM), with properties in key Midwestern cities selling up to 83% faster than the national average, according to the latest market data. Regional performance outpaces national metric

Tech Pulse: AI for real estate teams; Tech Trendsetter shares insights

Welcome back to Tech Pulse — HousingWire‘s weekly series rounding up the latest in technology news, including tools, integrations and trends that impact mortgage and real estate. Here’s what happened this week: Can AI help real estate teams stand out or make them all look the same? Artificial intell

Commerce Secretary Lutnick says Fannie, Freddie IPO ‘could well be this year’

As the mortgage industry prepares for the Trump Administration’s plans for an initial public offering (IPO) of the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick appeared on CNBC to offer his comments on the subject. During th

Foreclosure filings rise 18% year over year in August

Foreclosure activity in the U.S. increased in August, with 35,697 properties receiving default notices, scheduled for auction, or repossessed by lenders, according to ATTOM’s August 2025 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report. The total was down 1% from July but up 18% from a year earlier. “August marked th

Home equity levels remain high even as price appreciation has cooled

The average U.S. mortgage holder has more than $300,000 in home equity, a figure that’s up significantly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic as national equity levels now stand at $17.5 trillion. That’s according to Cotality’s second-quarter 2025 home equity report released on Friday. The repor

Ohio property tax debate intensifies

Efforts to abolish or deeply reform property taxes are gaining momentum in multiple states — including Ohio — where impassioned debate has cited potential funding shortfalls for local services, seniors being prices out of homes and further effects on the housing market. Howard Fleeter, an economist

Waters urges Fed independence, FHFA probe in Trump-Cook fight

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, sent two letters this week that seek investigations into actions by President Donald Trump at the Federal Reserve. One letter was sent to John Allen, the acting inspector general of the Federal Housin

Is there a better way to avoid reverse mortgage foreclosures?

Even with options in place to prevent them, reverse mortgages can end in foreclosure. But Byron Batres thinks his company can offer a solution to reduce these outcomes. While more recent numbers aren’t available, a 2019 analysis by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) of Federal Housing Admini

Christie’s International Real Estate SC adds agent Jordana Leigh

Jordana Leigh has joined Christie’s International Real Estate Southern California, the brokerage announced. Known for work in the region’s luxury and celebrity real estate market, Leigh has more than $5 billion in career sales and has represented clients including Orlando Bloom, Simon Cowell, Eve an

MBA’s Bob Broeksmit sees risks in merging Fannie and Freddie

Amid recent reporting that President Trump is weighing a $500 billion stock offering for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and that he might be considering a merger of the two mortgage giants, Mortgage Bankers Association‘s CEO and President Bob Broeksmit authored a blog post highlighting the benefits of h

Investor home purchases hit lowest second-quarter level since 2020

U.S. real estate investors bought about 52,000 homes in the second quarter, the lowest level for that period since 2020, according to a report from Redfin. Purchases were down 6% from a year earlier — the largest drop since late 2023. Redfin, which analyzed purchase records across 39 major metropoli

Non-QM lender Griffin Funding unveils AI-driven underwriting platform

Griffin Funding has launched an internal artificial intelligence-driven platform designed to help loan officers navigate the complex world of non-QM lending. The tool, known internally as “LIA,” pulls hundreds of pages of program guidelines into a single system and uses AI to deliver tailored answer

Baltimore’s push against vacant housing shows positive results

Recent efforts to cut down on vacant residential properties in Baltimore have proven to be effective, according to new Urban Institute data. By 2020, the city had more than 16,000 vacant buildings and a residential vacancy rate of 7.7%. In parts of east and west Baltimore, the rate was nearly one in

Christie’s International Real Estate names SVP of strategic growth

Christie’s International Real Estate has appointed G. Scott Hurlock as senior vice president of strategic growth, a new role at the company. Hurlock will oversee network expansion for the luxury real estate brand by pursuing new partnerships and working with affiliates on organic growth, mergers and

Texas bill targets deed fraud, but expert points to online loopholes

A bill on Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk could give county clerks new tools to combat deed fraud, but one industry expert says the measure doesn’t go far enough to protect against scams carried out online. Senate Bill 15 — approved by the Texas Legislature in August — would require clerks to ask for

Mortgage rates drop below 6% for FHA, VA loans

On Thursday, mortgage rates data from Mortgage News Daily (MND) showed that the 30-year fixed rates for government loans fell below 6%. As of Thursday afternoon, the average Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan rate was 5.97% and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) rate was 5.99%. Mort

Real estate pros: Explain the value of buyer rep without sounding like a script

One of the most important parts of a real estate agent’s job is helping buyers understand why working with you matters, especially now that the new rules around representation and compensation have changed the conversation. Now, more than ever, it is important for buyers to understand the value your

Mortgage rates hit new 2025 low as jobless claims spike

Mortgage rates have reached a new low for 2025, despite the Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation being well above the target and showing a stronger increase in the core goods component. Why are mortgage rates at 6.27%? Jobless claims experienced a significant spike today, which suggests that the lab

Homebuyers strained by costs, confused about mortgage market

Mortgage rates remain below the 50-year average, but most homebuyers see them as unusually high — a perception that is driving stress, delaying purchases, and reshaping major life decisions, according to a nationwide survey conducted in August. The survey of more than 1,000 buyers, released this wee