Where reverse mortgage securities issuers stand in Q1 2025

The leading issuers in the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM)-backed Securities (HMBS) program during the first quarter of 2025 saw a couple of fluctuations quarter over quarter, but maintains two fewer issuers than it did at the same point in 2024.This is based on a recent tabulation published

Wade Pfau: how market volatility could renew reverse mortgage discussions

Reverse mortgage professionals have long sought financial advisors as referral sources, but might find that those professionals are not particularly willing to entertain the notion that the product would be right for their clients. But when confronted with volatility in the markets, advisors who are

Retirees moving to low-tax states may be disappointed by the savings they find

For retirees who are contemplating a move to a state with lower or no income tax, they may find that they should consider other realities of their final destination. Focusing solely on income taxes without considering other associated costs may not bring about the savings they hope for or expect.Thi

Virginia independent brokerage joins Keller Williams

Keller Williams is growing its presence in coastal Virginia. On Thursday the company announced the affiliation of Austin James Realty, an independent firm that serves clients in Virginia and North Carolina. “We are thrilled to welcome Austin James Realty to the KW family,” Suzie O’Neal, the chief gr

These are the housing bills now in front of Congress

Despite the lack of significant momentum on housing issues from government leaders this year, members in the U.S. House of Representatives from both major political parties have come together to introduce multiple housing-related bills.Two bills in particular are aimed at boosting housing supply and

AI agent platform promises to ‘transform mortgage operations’

Florida-based Theoris Software has launched a new artificial intelligence (AI) platform, AI agent, it says could transform how mortgage companies handle operations.The platform introduces a digital agent named Alpha7x that automates key processes across the mortgage lifecycle.The tool is being toute

The trigger leads bill is back!

The trigger leads bill, which failed to pass the House of Representatives in late December 2024 despite Senate approval, was re-introduced to the 119th Congress Thursday morning.Simultaneously, a slew of mortgage brokers associated with the Brokers Action Coalition (BAC) sealed the end of BAC’s thre

Zillow, eXp Realty team up against delayed marketing listings

Leo Pareja, the CEO of eXp Realty, has been a vocal supporter of the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) Clear Cooperation Policy (CCP), and now, as he put it, he and his firm are “putting their money where their mouth is.” On Thursday, eXp Realty announced that, as a brokerage, it was signing o

Jumbo market frazzled by trade war volatility

The mortgage market turbulence sparked by the global trade war has hit jumbo loans especially hard. “The equity market tanking has caught several buyers, who are still in the escrow cycle, in a position where they will incur a huge loss if they liquidate their vested stocks, causing serious issues f

Build-to-rent homes reach record completions

The U.S. build-to-rent (BTR) housing sector reached new heights in 2024, completing a record-setting 39,000 single-family rental homes — a 15.5% increase from the previous year — according to a new analysis by Point2Homes. That figure marks a sixfold leap from the pre-pandemic years, when the countr

Analysis: The tariff impact on homeowners insurance

Rising tariffs and shifting global trade policies are adding strain to insurance markets, particularly in homeowners insurance and auto coverage, according to a recent analysis by the American Agents Alliance. Higher costs for imported materials such as automotive parts and construction supplies are

Residency requirements top HUD OIG’s list of open reverse mortgage issues

On an online database tracking a series of issues the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) related to the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) program, there are four open recommendations according to a review by HousingWire‘s Reverse Mortgag

EPM’s Kevin DeLory dies of cancer at 53

Kevin DeLoryKevin DeLory, Equity Prime Mortgage’s (EPM) chief lending officer TPO and a partner in the business, died on Tuesday following a bout with cancer. He was 53 years old.DeLory spent more than 20 years in the TPO space. A Rhode Island native, he graduated from Rhode Island College in 1994,

Realtor on impacts of deadly Kentucky flooding

Catastrophic flooding continues to inundate the central U.S. as rivers remain swollen from unprecedented rainfall brought on by a series of deadly storms.Spanning from Kentucky, Illinois and Ohio to Louisiana and Mississippi, floodwaters are still surging downstream, overwhelming neighborhoods, infr

Aging in place, high equity impact moving activity

While normal variations can be found across the country, by and large the sentiment around aging in place in one’s own home appears to be a far-and-away preference for many Americans in or near retirement. This is impacting the moving and homebuying activity in certain areas, according to housing pr

Primary suites, kitchens, roofing lead remodel impact report

As homeowners continue to invest in upgrading their living spaces, a new report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) highlights home remodeling projects that offer the greatest personal satisfaction, and those most likely to r

Gary Keller asks court to intervene over John Davis’s “baseless claims”

Keller Williams, Gary Keller and former KW CEO John Davis are ramping up their legal battle. On Friday, Keller Williams co-founder and chairman Gary Keller, who is a defendant in the suit, filed a document asking the court to make Davis pay for what he claims are “baseless attacks” against him, his

Florida still most desired destination for out-of-state buyers

A new LendingTree study finds that Florida emerged as the most popular destination among out-of-state homebuyers in 2024.According to the report, 13.7% of mortgage purchase inquiries came from consumers looking to buy property outside of their current state. Florida was the top choice for out-of-sta

Jonathan McKernan could lead CFPB “imminently”

It may not be long before the federal government’s consumer watchdog has a newly-installed permanent director.Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), who chairs the powerful Senate Banking Committee, spoke about the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) during an appearance at the American Bankers Associatio

Trump hikes China tariff to 125%, but pauses most others

President Donald Trump’s global tariff rollout has become a rollercoaster.A week after announcing a new tariff regime that imposed dramatic levies on America’s most reliable trade partners, Trump posted on social media Wednesday that he’s placing a 90-day pause on tariffs against 56 countries and th