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Author Archives: Xhevrije West

Xhevrije West is a writer and editor based in Dallas, Texas. She has worked for a number of publications including The Syracuse New Times, Dallas Flow Magazine, and Bellwethr Magazine. She completed her Bachelors at Alcorn State University and went on to complete her Masters at Syracuse University.

Renting vs. Buying: HOA Fees May Make Renting More Appealing than Buying

Recent results from Trulia’s Rent vs. Buy Report reveals that purchasing a home with a traditional 30-year mortgage and 20 percent down payment is cheaper than renting, but additional fees from the homeowner association (HOA) can make renting seem more appealing especially for New York and Honolulu residents whose HOA fees are considerably higher.

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HFPC Panel Addresses Servicing Hot-Topics

Mortgage service regulations have not yet fully caught up with significant industry changes over the past five years, according to an Urban Wire blog post by the Urban Institute and author Karan Kaul.

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CFPB and HUD Secretary Castro Address Housing Choice Voucher Program

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) recently issued a bulletin to help mortgage lenders evade illegal discrimination against applicants that include vouchers from the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Homeownership Program in their income when applying for a mortgage loan. This type of discrimination may violate federal fair lending protections.

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Metro Home Prices Increase for Q1 in NAR Report

According to the latest quarterly report by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), home prices have increased in the majority of metro areas included for Q1 2015. A high demand for housing along with low inventory levels caused prices to go up significantly and areas that experienced double-digit price appreciation doubled compared to last quarter.

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CFPB Files Suit against Lenders for False Advertising

Nationwide Biweekly Administration, Inc., Loan Payment Administration LLC, and the company’s owner, Daniel Lipsky, are being sued by the Consumer Financial Bureau (CFPB) in federal district court. The CFPB claims that Nationwide falsely advertises the interest savings consumers will achieve through a biweekly mortgage payment program called the “Interest Minimizer” and deceives consumers about the price of the program.

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Lack of Housing Affordability Impacts Economic Growth

According to the National Bureau of Economic Research’s (NBER’s) new working paper “Why Do Cities Matter? Local Growth and Aggregate Growth”, high-productivity markets are not the main contributors to economic growth due to limited housing affordability options.

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Metro Areas Facing Growing Inequality

According to a National Association of Realtors (NAR) recent study, rising prices of homes have helped homeowners build housing wealth, but the research found a worsening inequality in homeownership gains in metro areas.

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Mark Mackey Promoted to CEO for IDS

International Document Services (IDS) Inc., a mortgage document preparation vendor, recently announced the internal promotion of their former EVP Mark Mackey to CEO for the company. IDS is a nationwide provider of mortgage documents and compliance. Their services include closing documents, initial disclosures, and fulfillment. The company was founded in 1986 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

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