Home Insurance Shock Eases but Costs Stay Elevated, Newrez Finds
Newrez’s internal study of about 1.2 million escrowed loans shows homeowners’ insurance premiums surged 64% between 2021 and 2025, reaching an average of $2,625. Growth slowed in 2025 to 10%, the lowest rate since 2021, but premiums remain high, especially in Louisiana, Florida and Texas where annual costs exceed $4,000. Home values rose roughly $50,000, bolstering equity, and delinquency rates stayed below historic averages despite the insurance squeeze. Lenders report insurance‑related affordability pressures are delaying closings and prompting borrowers to downgrade homes.
Fed Faces New Test as Hot Inflation Data Clouds Rate‑cut Hopes
U.S. inflation data showed core personal consumption expenditures rising 0.3% in March and 3.2% year‑over‑year, the strongest pace since late 2023. Headline PCE climbed 0.7% month‑over‑month, driven largely by an 11.6% surge in energy prices linked to the Iran conflict....
Time’s Running Out to Enter Top Mortgage Employers 2026
Mortgage Professional America is closing entries for its eighth annual Top Mortgage Employers survey, inviting firms of any size to submit their applications. The program spotlights companies that excel in workplace culture, benefits, employee development, and leadership. Recognition positions winners...
Voluntary Severance Packages: A Good Way to Get Rid of the Old and the Weak?
Rogers Communications announced a voluntary severance program for roughly 10,000 employees, representing about half of its 25,000‑person workforce. The move mirrors similar tactics used by Bell Canada’s parent BCE and is positioned as a cost‑adjustment tool that lets staff choose...
Powell to Remain on Fed Board After Term as Chair Ends
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell announced he will remain on the Board of Governors after his chairmanship ends on May 15, citing unresolved DOJ investigations and recent legal challenges. He said he will serve as a governor for an undetermined...
Dissent Shows Most Disunited Fed Since 1992
The Federal Open Market Committee left rates unchanged in April, but recorded four dissenting votes—the most since 1992—highlighting a deep split over inflation risks. The dissenters opposed both a rate cut and the Fed’s “easing bias,” signaling discomfort with any...
Ex‑Rocket Exec Fawaz Launches Company, Shocks Industry with UWM, Ishbia Partnership
Mike Fawaz, a 15‑year Rocket Mortgage veteran, has launched Origna8, a new platform aimed at uniting mortgage brokers under a shared community. He announced that former Rocket executive Dan Sogorka will serve as CEO and that United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) and...
Borrower Says PHH Mortgage Forced Foreclosure with Short Sale Still Pending
A Tennessee homeowner has filed a federal lawsuit against PHH Mortgage, alleging the servicer rushed his property to foreclosure while a short‑sale offer was still pending. The complaint claims PHH engaged in illegal dual‑tracking, violating RESPA and Regulation X by setting...
Why Rate Cuts Might Be Easier Said than Done for the Next Fed Chair
Kevin Warsh, a longtime inflation hawk, has been nominated by President Donald Trump to become the next Federal Reserve chair, raising expectations that he might finally deliver the rate cuts the administration wants. However, a CNBC Fed Survey shows that...
Mortgages Are High Stakes. Can AI Be Trusted to Get It Right?
Mortgage lenders are turning to neuro‑symbolic artificial intelligence to address the high‑stakes risk of erroneous underwriting. LoanLogics CEO Dave Parker argues that combining pattern‑recognition with explicit regulatory rules creates a transparent, auditable model that can satisfy the Equal Credit Opportunity...
Affordability Improves Across All Top 100 US Housing Markets
First American’s February 2026 Real House Price Index revealed an 11% year‑over‑year improvement in housing affordability across all 100 tracked U.S. markets, the first such broad gain since October 2024. Real home prices fell 11% while consumer buying power rose 12.6%, driven...
US House Prices Freeze in February
U.S. house prices stalled in February, with the FHFA House Price Index showing a 0% month‑over‑month change while still up 1.7% year‑over‑year. The pause follows a modest 0.2% January gain after an earlier 0.1% rise. Mortgage rates briefly fell below...
Fed Preview: What One Economist Says Must Happen Before the Fed Cuts Again
The Federal Open Market Committee is expected to keep rates on hold as 30‑year mortgage rates settle around 6.3%‑6.4%. A federal investigation into Fed renovations was dropped, paving the way for Kevin Warsh to replace Jerome Powell as chair. Senior...
Industry Vet Slams Lack of Women on Convention Main Stages
Erica LaCentra, chief marketing officer of RCN Capital, criticizes mortgage‑industry conventions for relegating women speakers to separate events held before or after the main program. She points out that senior female executives are often confined to women‑only sessions while less...
Ohio Supreme Court Rejects Adverse Possession Claim Built on Lawn Care
The Ohio Supreme Court reversed lower‑court rulings that had granted NC Enterprises ownership of two Norfolk Southern Railway parcels, holding that two decades of lawn care does not satisfy Ohio’s adverse‑possession requirements. The court emphasized that the “open and notorious”...
Relying on AI Chatbots for Answers Is a Growing Danger, Mortgage Executive Says
Mortgage industry leaders warn that AI chatbots, while convenient, often deliver outdated or inaccurate regulatory guidance. Valerie Saunders, chief executive strategist at the National Association of Mortgage Brokers, stresses that brokers must rely on vetted experts rather than generic AI...
US Homebuilders Stare Down Another ‘Lost’ Year as War, Tariffs Bite
US homebuilders entered the spring 2026 selling season under pressure from higher construction costs, elevated mortgage rates and geopolitical tensions. Tariffs, labor shortages and soaring oil prices have squeezed margins, prompting firms like Lennar and KB Home to lean heavily...
Bill Dallas: Brace for CFPB Comeback, Avoid ‘Questionable RESPA Things’
Bill Dallas, a veteran mortgage executive, warns that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is likely to reassert its oversight role under the Biden administration, targeting questionable RESPA practices. He notes that larger lenders are experimenting with one‑stop‑shop models that...
Home Sellers’ Profits Slide as Rates Bite and Cash Buyers Retreat
Home sellers’ profit margins contracted in Q1 2026 as higher mortgage rates and softer price growth eroded returns. The average return on investment fell to 44.1% from 47.2% a quarter earlier and 50.2% a year ago, marking the first sub‑45% rate...
DoJ Drops Powell Probe, Clearing Way for Warsh to Take Fed Hotseat
The Justice Department has closed its criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, removing a major political obstacle to confirming President Trump’s Fed nominee, former governor Kevin Warsh. The DOJ redirected its focus to a cost‑overrun review of the...
FHFA’s VantageScore Adoption Is a Win, but Implementation Will Take Time: Executive
The FHFA announced that VantageScore 4.0 will be accepted immediately by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, with nearly $10 million in loans already originated using the new model. The change lets rent‑payment data count toward credit scores and could pressure FICO 10T to match...
Georgia Court Revives Lender's Security Deed After HOA Service Misstep
The Georgia Court of Appeals reversed a trial court’s default judgment that had cancelled Smart Venture Capital’s security deed on a Duluth property after the homeowners association’s service of process was deemed defective. The appellate court found the certified‑mail notice...
Court Cancels Tax Deed over Saturday Redemption Deadline – Investor Goes Dark
The Georgia Court of Appeals ruled that a Saturday redemption deadline automatically extends to the following Monday, overturning Monarch Holdings' claim that the deadline was fixed on April 16, 2022. Real Dream Investors, who attempted to redeem the property after the weekend,...
Tennessee Law Grants Purchasers Exclusive Right to Choose Settlement Agents
Tennessee Governor signed House Bill 569, granting buyers the exclusive right to select the settlement agent for real‑property closings. The law bars sellers from imposing a particular agent or conditioning the sale on that choice, and the provision cannot be...
Mortgage Rates Slide for Third Consecutive Week
U.S. mortgage rates slipped for the third week, with the 30‑year fixed rate averaging 6.23% and the 15‑year at 5.58% for the week ending April 23. The decline follows a modest rise in mortgage applications, driven by a surge in...
Just 13% of Homeowners Say Buying a Home Is Achievable in Current Market
A Citizens study found only 13% of homeowners consider buying a new home feasible in today’s market, while 44% view renovation as their most realistic option. Elevated mortgage rates—now more often above 6% than below 3%—and limited inventory are driving...
Fast-Track Homes Still Spark Bidding Wars
Zillow’s February 2026 analysis shows 18.5% of U.S. homes went under contract within seven days, while the median active listing sat on the market for 56 days, creating a 37‑day gap—the widest since 2020. Fast‑selling homes fetched a premium, with...
Spring Listings Start to Thaw as Rates Edge Lower
New home listings rose 3% year‑over‑year in the four weeks ending April 19, the strongest gain since November, while pending sales slipped only 1.2%, the smallest monthly decline in a month. Mortgage‑purchase applications jumped 10% week‑over‑week and 14% year‑over‑year, signaling renewed...
Banks Dominate IMBs in Origination and Servicing Satisfaction: JD Power
Preliminary 2026 JD Power data shows banks outpacing independent mortgage banks (IMBs) and non‑banks in both origination and servicing satisfaction. Banks lead by roughly 30 points on origination and 68 points on servicing, a gap that has widened year over year....
Affordability Crisis Worsens as 1 in 4 Spend 30% of Income on Principal and Interest Payments
LendingTree’s 2025 survey shows the average principal‑and‑interest mortgage payment slipped 2.4% to $1,942, yet affordability remains strained. Borrowers now devote about 20% of income to these payments, and one in four spend at least 30% of earnings. In high‑cost markets...
Home Prices Race Ahead of Incomes, Leaving No Major US City Affordable
A new Best Interest Financial and Clever Real Estate analysis finds the median U.S. home now costs $414,900—over five times the median household income of $81,604, yielding a 5.08 price‑to‑income ratio. Since 1980, home values have surged 551% while incomes...
Commercial Brokers Slam 'Almost Comical' Changes to SBA Lending
The U.S. Small Business Administration announced that, effective March 1, only 100% U.S. citizen or national owners can qualify for SBA 7(a) and 504 loans, barring green‑card holders. In 2025, lawful permanent residents received just 4% of the agency’s 85,000 loans, roughly...
Couple Sues Bank of New York Mellon, NewRez to Halt Georgia Foreclosure
A Georgia couple filed a lawsuit on April 20 accusing Bank of New York Mellon, acting as trustee for a mortgage‑backed trust, and servicer NewRez (Shellpoint) of proceeding with a May 5 foreclosure despite a pending hardship application. The homeowners claim the...
Mr. Cooper Faces Class Action Claiming Inflated Mortgage Prepayment Penalties
Mr. Cooper, a leading U.S. mortgage servicer with a $1.5 trillion unpaid principal balance and over six million customers, faces a proposed class action alleging it misapplied prepayment penalties. The lawsuit centers on the ambiguous term “anniversary date” in a borrower’s...
Florida Homeowner Drags NewRez, Ditech Into Federal Court over Servicing
A Fort Lauderdale homeowner, April L. Young, has sued NewRez, Ditech and Paramount Residential Mortgage Group in federal court, alleging that mortgage servicing letters were sent years before a recorded assignment transferred the loan to Ditech. The lawsuit, filed April...
Redfin Shows Home Prices Barely Rising
Redfin’s Home Price Index shows U.S. home prices rising just 0.1% month‑over‑month in March, marking the third consecutive month of minimal growth. Year‑over‑year prices increased 1.9%, the slowest pace since 2012. While 13 of the 46 large metros recorded price...
MPA Weekly Poll: Grade the Career Performance of Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Jerome Powell may preside over his final Federal Reserve meeting next week, prompting a poll that asks market participants to assign a letter grade to his eight‑year tenure. Since taking the helm in 2018, Powell guided the Fed through the...
Consumer Confidence in AI Is Falling. Why that Matters to Mortgage Brokers
AI adoption in mortgage lending is expanding, but a new Cotality AI in Housing 2026 report shows consumer confidence plummeting. Trust in AI to help find a home fell from 30% in 2025 to just 16% in the latest survey....
Rocket Pro’s Fisher: Glass Ceiling Is Shifting, but the Glass Cliff Remains for Women in Mortgage
Katie Fisher, EVP of broker strategy at Rocket Pro, says the mortgage industry’s glass ceiling is moving as women achieve parity in brokerage roles, but many still occupy figurehead executive positions. She warns that the "glass cliff"—assigning women to struggling...
Miami-Dade Home Sales Rise yet Again
Miami‑Dade’s housing market posted its seventh consecutive month of year‑over‑year sales growth in March, with total closings rising 6.6% to 2,134. Luxury transactions led the surge, as sales of homes priced above $5 million jumped 27% and the region averaged one...
Developer Clearcuts Neighbor's Yard, Loses Land to Adverse Possession
A Washington Court of Appeals ruled that a Spokane developer who clear‑cut a neighbor’s fence, pet cemetery and memorial tree did not have title to the disputed strip. The land had been openly occupied by homeowner Robert Sydow for over...
Delaware Court Confirms Sheriff Sale After Borrower's Bankruptcy Stalling Tactics Fail
A Delaware court confirmed the sheriff’s sale of five residential properties after the borrower, Kina Lane Enterprises, used a series of Chapter 13 and Chapter 11 bankruptcies to delay foreclosure for nearly four years. The properties were sold to One Pie Investment LLC...
Borrower Sues BNY Mellon, PHH Mortgage over RMBS Settlement Proceeds
A Birmingham homeowner filed a federal lawsuit accusing BNY Mellon, the master trustee of the RAMP Series 2006‑RZ3 RMBS trust, and loan servicer PHH Mortgage of retaining settlement proceeds from a $6.75 billion Residential Capital claim without adjusting his loan balance....
Foreclosures Climb in Early 2026
U.S. foreclosure activity rose in the first quarter of 2026, with ATTOM reporting 118,727 filing cases – a 6% increase from the previous quarter and 26% higher than a year earlier. One in every 1,211 housing units received a filing,...
Renting Still Wins, but Shrinking Savings Sharpen the Race to Buy
Realtor.com’s March 2026 Rental Report shows renters still pay about $920 less per month than first‑time buyers in all 50 largest metros, but the gap is narrowing as rents fall 1.5% year‑over‑year and home‑purchase costs ease. Median rent for 0‑2...
Shifting Cap Rates Reshaping Opportunities for Commercial Mortgage Brokers
Commercial mortgage brokers are seeing cap rates normalize across major U.S. industrial markets. In Los Angeles and the Inland Empire, rates have climbed from pandemic lows below 4% to roughly 6% as pricing corrected and new supply entered. Midwestern hubs...
'Bro Culture' Makes Private Lending an Unsafe Space for Women, Says Industry Veteran
Women now make up roughly half of mortgage brokers and dominate back‑office roles, yet they remain under‑represented in C‑suite positions. Erica LaCentra, CMO of RCN Capital, says the private‑lending sector still feels unsafe for women because of lingering bro‑culture and crude...
Class Action Targets Berkadia over Alleged Cyberattack Exposing Thousands' Data
Berkadia Commercial Mortgage, the leading Freddie Mac lender, faces a proposed class action alleging a March 20 cyberattack by the ShinyHunters group. The breach reportedly exposed thousands of individuals' personal and financial data, including Social Security numbers and banking details. Plaintiffs claim...
One in Six: How Rocket Swallowed America's Mortgage Market
Rocket Companies completed a $15.95 billion series of deals—acquiring Redfin for $1.75 billion and Mr. Cooper for $14.2 billion—creating a vertically integrated homeownership platform that now services roughly one in six U.S. mortgages, about 10 million borrowers and $2.1 trillion in unpaid principal. The combined entity...
Job Fears Push American Workers to Rethink Homebuying
A Redfin survey of 1,005 U.S. adults found that 36% of workers are postponing or canceling big‑ticket purchases, including homes, because of job‑security concerns, while 31% are accelerating purchases for the same reason. The poll also revealed that 7% missed...