Frank Martell moves on from loanDepot, takes CEO role at SmartRent

Former loanDepot CEO Frank Martell has officially moved on. SmartRent Inc., a provider of smart community technology solutions for the rental housing industry, on Monday announced that Martell will take on the roles of president and CEO effective immediately.Martell, who has been a member of SmartRe

Low-fee brokerage firms could give sellers considerable savings: CPC

Consumers listing a $400,000 property for sale could save up to $10,000 in broker fees by using a “low-fee” brokerage firm, according to a report published Monday by the Consumer Policy Center (CPC).The report, written by CPC fellows Stephen Brobeck and Wendy Glich, examined both flat-fee brokers (w

Down payments are getting smaller as buyers scoop up FHA, VA loans

As of April 2025, the typical U.S. homebuyer’s down payment was $62,468, down roughly 1% on a yearly basis and the first annual decline in nearly two years.That’s according to a new report from Redfin that’s based on an analysis of records across 40 of the most populous U.S. metropolitan areas.In pe

Elevated mortgage rates aren’t discouraging homebuyers

Why aren’t home sales crashing as they did in 2022? Right now we have elevated mortgage rates, trade war uncertainty, rising property taxes and home insurance, terrible consumer confidence data and a downgrade of the government’s debt, among other factors. But, housing demand continues to hold up, s

Seattle housing market wrestles with crippling affordability concerns

On the surface, Seattle’s housing market looks like any other in the country.The inventory of single-family homes for sale is up substantially year over year. New listings are up slightly, sales remain subdued and home prices aren’t moving much. That’s the story in the majority of housing markets.Bu

Comfortable city living usually requires a six-figure salary

Homeownership in many of America’s largest cities now demands a six-figure salary to sustain a comfortable lifestyle — with some regions requiring more than $300,000 annually.A new analysis by GOBankingRates ranked the top 50 U.S. cities by the income necessary to afford a comfortable standard of li

Americans are divided over housing impacts of immigration, tariffs

A new Redfin survey reveals sharp divides among Americans over how immigration and tariffs are affecting housing affordability, reflecting a complex and politically charged landscape.More than half of U.S. homeowners and renters (51.2%) believe that reducing immigration could worsen housing affordab

In Chicago, a reverse mortgage scammer left a lasting scar

Mark Diamond has been sentenced to 17 years in federal prison for his crimes against elderly homeowners, but the scars from the damage he inflicted across the Chicago metro area are still visible.A recent report from a local publication, the South Side Weekly, detailed one family’s struggle to recov

Tech Pulse: UWM challenges industry AI fear; Optimal Blue automates refi opportunities

Welcome back to Tech Pulse — a new weekly series rounding up the latest in technology, including tools, integrations and trends impacting mortgage and real estate.Here’s what happened this week:UWM’s Jason Bressler challenges the fear-driven narrative around AI in mortgage lendingAt HousingWire’s Th

First American: Rising costs squeeze homeownership for millions

The cost of owning a home in the U.S. has jumped sharply in recent years, reaching an average of more than $1,700 per month in 2023 — a 17% increase since 2020 — according to an analysis by First American senior economist Sam Williamson.Using the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data, Williamson found

MBA, FHFA explore single credit report for mortgages

While the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) under President Joe Biden proposed a transition from a tri-merge to a bi-merge credit report system, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) is now assessing the feasibility of moving to a single credit report for mortgage underwriting.Bob Broeksmit, pr

HUD signs agreement with South Korean housing finance agency to spur MBS investment

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Ginnie Mae on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with a South Korean housing finance authority, with the goal of increasing investment in U.S. agency mortgage-backed securities.The agreement, signed with the Korea Housing

How midsize lenders are surviving the mortgage squeeze

Mortgage veteran Glenn Stearns is taking a different approach with his latest venture. Kind Lending, a national wholesale mortgage lender and his second brainchild, is built on lean operations and a focus on efficiency — a contrast with his first company, Stearns Lending, which filed for Chapter 11

HUD is light on reverse mortgage detail in justifications for budget request

Following the release of the president’s fiscal year 2026 “skinny” budget request — and a look at the White House’s performance expectations for the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) program — the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has released its congressional justificatio

Judge blocks CFPB bid to undo Townstone redlining settlement

A federal judge on Thursday blocked an attempt by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to reverse a $105,000 settlement with Townstone Financial, a Chicago-based mortgage broker accused of discouraging Black applicants.U.S. District Judge Franklin Valderrama ruled that allowing the CFPB t

Judge sets trial timeline for Mutual of Omaha and Longbridge

An order signed by a magistrate judge in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California has established a forward timeline for the ongoing lawsuit between major reverse mortgage industry lenders Mutual of Omaha Mortgage and Longbridge Financial. A trial is scheduled to begin in Nove

Logan Finance launches new product suite for non-QM borrowers

Nonqualified mortgage (non-QM) lender Logan Finance Corp. has launched a new set of loan products designed to serve borrowers who fall outside traditional lending requirements.The “Open Road” product series includes seven mortgage offerings tailored to self-employed individuals, real estate investor

Aging in place increasingly embraced by independent senior living companies

Senior living organizations are often seen by the public as opposing ideas related to aging in place, but one senior living executive says that the industry’s future may lie in facilitating this increasingly common goal.This is according to an interview with Tod Petty, chief marketing officer at Fyn

Century 21 expands yet again — this time in Northern California

Century 21 Real Estate has announced a new affiliation with Kobetz Realty Inc., a full-service brokerage based in Ukiah, California.The move expands Century 21‘s presence in Mendocino County and the surrounding region.Founded in 2020 by broker/owner Benjamin Kobetz, the firm will now operate as Cent

Federal Reserve watchdog investigates efforts to dismantle CFPB

As Trump administration officials press ahead with their efforts to dismantle and defund the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the Federal Reserve Office of the Inspector General (OIG) is reportedly opening an investigation into moves to fire the vast majority of CFPB and attempted cancel