According to STRATMOR, a mortgage consulting firm, there is no version of the future that does not include AI. In their words, “that genie is out the bottle, and the only thing that will determine whether it will be good or ill will be the wishes we make.”
Read More »Using Mortgage Reserves to Help Narrow the Black-White Homeownership Gap
New research from FHLBank San Francisco and the Urban Institute investigates ways to reduce mortgage default risk by utilizing mortgage reserve accounts that could help homeowners overcome temporary hardships, which would mainly benefit Black families, who are more than twice as likely as white families to lose their home to foreclosure.
Read More »Surging Rates Fuel Increase in Adjustable-Rate Mortgage Activity
Among mortgage originations exceeding $1 million in April 2023, adjustable-rate mortgages comprised nearly 50% of the dollar volume, representing a six percentage-point increase from a year earlier.
Read More »Preparing for the Next REO Spike
The Five Star Institute has joined forces with the National REO Brokers Association to dissect how to prepare for an increase in REO volumes, with topics ranging from streamlining operations to managing compliance and public perception.
Read More »Homeownership Rate Continues to Grow, Particularly Among Below-Median Income Families
Amid larger macroeconomic uncertainties, the total homeownership rate can be attributed to the strong growth in the below-median income homeownership rate, which has sharply increased since 2016.
Read More »Recent Housing Market Downturns Targeting Western Regions, Upscale Areas
"We are starting to see some patterns that show where the U.S. housing market is cooling off and how it's hitting homeowners based on some key metrics. It looks so far—and it's important to stress, so far—to be having more impact in places with the highest housing costs and less impact elsewhere," said Rob Barber, CEO at ATTOM.
Read More »Study: Despite Pandemic Remodeling Boom, Aging Homes Need Additional Investments
A Harvard University study reveals the nation’s homes are older today than at any time ever recorded, and remain in dire need of critical maintenance.
Read More »Colonial Savings Shutters Mortgage Origination Operations
Effective July 31, the Texas-based bank will shut down its mortgage origination business, and shift its focus towards full-service banking and mortgage servicing options.
Read More »Study: High Rates Depress Refis; Cash-Out Refis Remain Strong
“The relatively higher interest rate environment has depressed mortgage refinancing in particular. Interestingly, cash-out refinance hasn’t been as impacted as rate and term refinance,” according to Joe Mellman, SVP and Mortgage Business Leader at TransUnion.
Read More »Overcoming Industry Headwinds
An upcoming Five Star Institute Webinar will delve into the landscape of the mortgage industry over the next 12 months, including a possible rise in home equity loans, a decrease in savings, increased credit card usage, and overall consumer weariness, among other topics.
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