No one can deny that the last few years have been good for companies that are in the mortgage servicing business. Asset managers, field service companies and property preservation contractors have all enjoyed what some have referred to as a target-rich environment.
Business was available for the taking and every firm that could do the work was getting the work. But those days are ending.
As the U.S. economy continues to recover and...
When Florida’s Governor Rick Scott signed House Bill 87 – the so-called foreclosure Rocket Docket bill – he had no idea he was opening another can of worms and potentially giving foreclosure defense attorneys more tools in their arsenal to delay foreclosures.
The bill was passed into law to deal with Florida’s drawn-out and troublesome foreclosure process. HB 87 aimed to streamline the foreclosure process, enacting reforms at the legislative level to jump-start...
Do you know any influential women in the housing finance and real estate industries?
If so, take heed.
HousingWire is looking for the names of a few good women who have inspired their colleagues and business associates by actively shaping the mortgage and housing sectors with innovative ideas, timely solutions and steadfast dedication.
The nomination process is officially open for the 3rd Annual Influential Women in Housing recognition program, with applications...
I’ve never claimed to be a guru when it comes to technology, but I will say this: you’ll be hard pressed to find anyone is more of a proponent of it than I am. There’s a good reason for that: technology adds efficiency – and dare I say even magic – to operations. And efficiency in any business (and real estate is not immune) is a must-have fuel today if you want to succeed.
So, if you’re afraid of technology, if it makes your stomach queasy, get over it. Learn to love it or leave real...
There is a lot of fine print the goes into getting a loan. You have the basics like the who, what, where, when and why. But then you have the more complicated sections such as how much debt do you have and what is your credit history?
A loan officer is like a psychiatrist for your finances. By the end of process, they may not know a lot about your mental health, but they will know the majority, if not all, of your financial health.
However, as the lending reporter with...
In a round table discussion on mortgage fraud, Matthias Blume, senior director of analytics for CoreLogic, discussed a circumstance where a distressed homeowner poured cat urine on the rug so potential buyers are less inclined to make an offer.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. The home was being short-sold and the homeowners were not happy.
Others sitting at the round table discussion on real estate transaction fraud mentioned other cases where...
Calls for widespread principal reductions from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are basically moral arguments. Supporters says it just not fair for negative equity homeowners to suffer the loss of value alone. This is often used in tandem with a story of lender impropriety, thus exaggerating a homeowner's exacerbation, in addition to the onerous mortgage burden.
FHFA acting director Ed DeMarco long resisted calls for Fannie and Freddie to implement relief...
Dare we say it's a Heck of a bill?
Congressman Denny Heck, D-WA, may be the new kid on the block, but he came out of the gates blazing.
Not only did Heck get the Reverse Mortgage Stabilization Act of 2013 passed by the U.S. House of Representatives Wednesday, it’s his first bill.
With that type of opening record, we’re holding a standard to the congressman to effectively produce such approval in the forthcoming months. But for now, let’s give Heck a pat on the back...
When I spoke to Michele Serro, the founder and CEO of Doorsteps, today, I was reminded the importance of flexibility in the real estate business.
Doorsteps is a fairly new company — about a year old — yet made many changes in its short life span. The online company provides information, written by industry experts and insiders, to help homebuyers avoid all of the home-buying mistakes that have given the home-buying process a...
Making its footprint in the suburbs of Plano, Texas, loanDepot joins corporations such as Pepsico and even HousingWire in north Dallas.
Retail mortgage lender loanDepot opened its new co-headquarters in Plano, Texas, conveniently located just a mile up the road from HousingWire’s office.
Fresh out of the package, you can still get a hint of the new office smell as...
