News

United Wholesale Mortgage has announced the release of UClose, an industry-leading tool that will allow mortgage brokers to close their loans within an hour of receiving their clear to close.

Mid America Mortgage, Inc., owner and CEO Jeff Bode recently announced the promotion of Chris Hartman to sales manager of wholesale and correspondent operations.

B2R Finance recently announced the appointment of Brad Weber as the company's chief accounting officer. Weber will report to CFO Darren Thompson.

The University of Southern California Lusk Center for Real Estate, a nationally-renowned real estate research center, has appointed Rodney Ramcharan as its research director. Ramcharan has also been named associate professor of real estate and public policy at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy.

Almost immediately, PHH and its lawyers, Los Angeles-based Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, petitioned the District of Columbia U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to “modify or set aside civil investigative demand” while the company made its case against what it called an abuse of power by the CFPB.

The report found that consumer attitudes toward selling stumbled last month, despite a recent flurry of optimistic projections about the U.S. housing market in general. In the past week, the National Association of Home Builders reported that more than half of builders it surveyed see 55+ housing as a solid endeavor.

Freddie Mac recently released the results of its Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS), finding that average fixed mortgage rates continue to drop as economic uncertainty pushed Treasury yields lower.

The Federal Open Market Committee stated in its July meeting that more labor growth is needed before the Fed decides to raise the federal target funds rate. Will July's job gains drive the Fed to increase rates in September after years of keeping them near zero?

In the single-family 55+ housing market, builder confidence remains positive for the second quarter of 2015 with a reading of 57, according to the National Association of Home Builders' 55+ Housing Market Index.

When it comes to applying for a mortgage, gender matters. Lenders are working to close the divide. This article takes a look at how big a factor the disparity in income levels is in mortgage lending decisions, and considers what other factors may be at play. Editor's note: This select print feature appears in the August 2015 edition of MReport magazine, available now.