Foreclosure

A pair of new HUD reports suggest that federal relief prevented a rise in evictions and homelessness during the pandemic through a series of federal intervention actions.

According to Black Knight's latest Mortgage Monitor report, purchase locks fell 7.4% from June, while mortgage rates topped 7% in July for the first time since last fall. Click through to see the latest findings.

Researchers from Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies point out that lawmakers and regulators proved during the pandemic that policy-based housing solutions are possible in a time of crisis.

According to ATTOM's 2023 U.S. Home Equity & Underwater Report, the share of mortgaged homes that were equity-rich in Q2 2023 increased from 47% in Q1, reaching the highest point in four years.

Following three quarters of decline, ATTOM reports that home investment returns rose in Q2, led by a springtime surge in buyer demand, pushing seller profits back up to nearly their highest level recorded in the past decade.

MortgagePoint speaks with mortgage servicing execs from BOK Financial, Carrington, the NMSA, PHH Mortgage Corporation, and Servbank about the unusual times and unusual opportunities the industry faces midway through 2023.

While a small fraction of RON transactions may involve fraudulent activity, Brooke Adams of Stavvy discusses the advanced tools at the disposal of the industry to stay ahead of bad actors.

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.

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.

"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.