Origination

As mortgage rates remain historically high and the nation’s housing supply low, LendingTree has found that many homeowners are opting to tackle home improvement tasks, with nearly 70% having started or completed various projects over the past year.

Five finalists have been named for the Five Star Institute Keys in Hand Award, shining the light on women in the industry who have spearheaded efforts to increase homeownership opportunities for all.

Take a closer look at data-supported rankings of the best starter-home locations in the U.S. just outside city centers in a new report from Today’s Homeowner.

Although mortgage rates remain above 7%, the first week of October has historically been the best time to buy a home due to a drop in demand and reduced home prices.

“Mortgage applications decreased for the seventh time in eight weeks, reaching the lowest level since 1996,” said Joel Kan, MBA’s VP and Deputy Chief Economist. “Last week’s decline was driven by a 5% drop in refinance applications, to the weakest reading since January 2023.”

While traditional credit reports remain a strong indication of past financial reliability, a credit report alone doesn’t always provide the full picture of a consumer’s financial profile.

Meet the five finalists for the Five Star Institute’s 2023 Leadership Award, who will be recognized by their peers for assembling diverse teams and fostering women leadership roles in C-Suite roles at the Women in Housing Leadership Awards Luncheon.

“Annual home price growth regained momentum in July, which mostly reflects strong appreciation from earlier this year,” said Selma Hepp, Chief Economist for CoreLogic.

At the upcoming Five Star Conference & Expo, the industry’s next generation of women leaders will be recognized as part of the Women in Housing Leadership Awards Luncheon. Check out our profiles of this year’s Rising Star Executive Award finalists.

The MBA's Mortgage Credit Availability Index revealed that August's share of mortgage credit availability was on the upswing after a decrease in July, which resulted in the lowest level of credit availability recorded since 2013.