Los Angeles suspends new Section 8 applications, approvals amid federal uncertainty

Citing federal budget uncertainty, the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles announced last week that it has stopped accepting new applications for Housing Choice Vouchers (HCVs), commonly referred to as Section 8 vouchers that subsidize rents for tens of thousands of city tenants.In statemen

Cenlar FSB hires Andrew Pohlmann to lead business development efforts

Nationwide mortgage loan servicer Cenlar FSB announced today that Andrew Pohlmann has joined the organization as senior vice president of business development. Pohlmann, who brings 30 years of experience to Cenlar, formerly served as Rate’s chief marketing officer. He confirmed the new role in a pos

Mortgage demand for new homes is down 6.9% in the past year

Mortgage applications for new-home purchases fell 6.9% year over year in February, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)’s Builder Application Survey that was released Thursday.Applications edged up 0.3% from January without taking seasonal adjustments into account.“New home

Southern construction boom is aiding housing affordability

As the 2025 spring homebuying season begins, the national housing market continues to struggle with supply shortages. But increased activity in residential construction, particularly in the South, is helping to alleviate affordability challenges in certain regions, according to ananalysis from First

Senate confirms Bill Pulte as FHFA director

The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed Bill Pulte to serve as the new director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). Pulte succeeds Sandra Thompson, who led the agency under the Biden administration but left before the inauguration of Donald Trump.Pulte was confirmed in a vote of 56-43, with

Finance of America reports Q4 loss, full-year profit for 2024

Reverse mortgage leader Finance of America (FOA) recorded a quarter-over-quarter loss in the fourth quarter of 2024, but still notched a full-year profit.In a Wednesday earnings call, company leaders outlined their assessment of the reverse mortgage market moving forward, describing 2024 as a year o

Fathom teases new agent revenue-sharing model

Fathom Realty rolled out two new agent commission plans in 2024, and the brokerage isn’t done yet.On Fathom Holdings‘ fourth-quarter 2024 earnings call on Wednesday, CEO Marco Fregenal mentioned a new revenue-sharing model that will launch “soon.” The plan is designed to help agents close more busin

ICE Mortgage Technology debuts asset and audit analysis tools

ICE Mortgage Technology has added new analysis tools, expanding its technology portfolio that’s designed to simplify underwriting and post-closing review processes.The company this week announced the debut of ICE Asset Analyzer and ICE Audit Analyzer, adding to the existing ICE Income and ICE Credit

Older Americans are increasingly reliant on credit cards to cover basic living expenses

Nearly half of older Americans are reliant on using credit cards to cover basic living expenses they don’t have the cash for. And nearly 20% of this cohort consistently relied on this type of high-interest debt on a monthly basis over the past year, according to survey results released this week by

Judge reportedly leans toward pause in Trump’s actions to unwind the CFPB

In a closely watched case that could determine the posture of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) during the second Trump administration, a judge overseeing a case brought by the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) against CFPB acting director Russell Vought could rein in actions to

Realtor.com says mid-April is the best time to list a home

Homeowners looking to sell this year may find the middle of April to be the most advantageous time to list, according to a report released Wednesday by Realtor.com.The report suggests that homes listed between April 13 and April 19 could sell faster, face less competition and command higher prices c

Howard Hanna calls for recusal of judge in Gibson commission suit, citing conflict of interest

Howard Hanna Real Estate Services has accused the Missouri judge overseeing a critical commission lawsuit of having a conflict of interest and is demanding that he recuse himself from the case.As part of the Gibson commission suit, the brokerage said in a court filing on Monday that a plaintiffs’ at

Evergreen Home Loans expands into New Mexico

Evergreen Home Loans has expanded into New Mexico, opening branches in Albuquerque and Carlsbad. The locations will be led by area manager Barry Abt, the company announced Wednesday.Evergreen, a direct mortgage lender serving the western U.S., provides origination, funding and servicing for home loa

HUD rejects Asheville’s Hurricane Helene recovery draft plan, citing DEI

As it continues to seek pathways to recovery following the onslaught of Hurricane Helene, the city of Asheville, North Carolina, faces a new roadblock tied to $225 million in grants that were set to be delivered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).According to HUD Secretary

HUD reportedly axes Biden-era green retrofit program

In a move that demonstrates further action by the Trump administration to halt priorities of the Biden era, multiple outlets have reported that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has moved to end the Green and Resilient Retrofit Program (GRRP).The program, which had an initia

Federal judge orders release of DOGE operational records

A federal judge has ordered the U.S. DOGE Service — the controversial agency led by billionaire Elon Musk — to release records about its operations, citing concerns over its “unusual secrecy,” according to a report from Reuters on Tuesday.In a ruling on Monday, Judge Christopher Cooper of the U.S. D

New York moves to allow title insurance for state land deals

New York may soon allow title insurance for state land purchases, a shift that could streamline conservation efforts and resolve longstanding property disputes.The change, which was included in Gov. Kathy Hochul’s recent budget amendments, follows growing concerns from environmental groups and munic

What has the CFPB done for the reverse mortgage industry?

Since it was originally founded in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has been a chief figure in the regulatory enforcement of the mortgage industry, including the reverse mortgage business.But recent reports suggest that the Trump administration w

Safety, affordability concerns could be barriers for aging in place

An overwhelming majority of older Americans (84%) say that aging in place in their current homes is a priority, but significant challenges stemming from home safety and affordability concerns are some of the elements keeping them from actually doing it. This is according to a new survey from Point,

CertifID’s Tom Cronkright on how CISA cuts could impact cybersecurity practices

The Trump administration has cut millions of dollars in federal funding from two cybersecurity initiatives, including one dedicated to helping state and local election officials.The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has ended about $10 million in annual funding to the nonp