A new professional development program aimed at preparing experienced real estate professionals for public speaking roles has begun a soft launch. The Industry Speaks Academy was created to help real estate professionals develop skills needed to participate effectively on conference stages, panel discussions, podcasts like RealTrending and other industry platforms. The program focuses on readiness […]
A top-producing New Jersey team is making the move to Side. The Long Beach Island-based Freeman Group announced Wednesday that it was leaving REMAX at Barnegat Bay to launch a boutique firm, Freeman & Company, at Side. The six-person team is led by owner and managing partner Edward Freeman. In launching the new firm, Freeman
Top New Jersey team launches boutique firm at Side Read More »
Shares in publicly traded mortgage insurance companies dropped between 5% to 8% in a single day and are down by 5% to 12% so far this year, according to an investor note published Tuesday by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods (KBW). KBW analysts Bose George and Frankie Labetti explained that the main concern appears to be tied
Potential cuts to FHA premiums weigh on mortgage insurers Read More »
Trading levels in the bond market directly impact the rates that mortgage lenders can offer. This is why rates moved so much lower after last week’s news regarding planned purchases of $200bln in mortgage backed bonds. But bonds aren’t the only input for rates, and those other inputs can make for days like today where
Mortgage Rates Unchanged Despite Bond Market Improvement Read More »
At times, the generational divide in mortgage lending feels like the setup to a workplace sitcom: the Gen X loan officer wonders why no one returns their voicemail, while the Gen Z loan officer never even bothered to configure theirs. Beyond the humor, there’s a real operational issue: knowledge that took 30 years to accumulate
How AI may help mortgage lending weather a talent crunch Read More »
Forward look: Wells Fargo is projecting $50 billion in 2026 net interest income, a 5% increase over the 2025 result. Expert quote: “The cash flow, the spending levels, the credit performance has all been quite good so far.” — Chief Financial Officer Mike Santomassimo, commenting on Wells’ consumer results Supporting data: Wells’ total assets reached
Strong consumer results push Wells Fargo profits higher Read More »
Lower Mortgage announced a new acquisition this week, with a purchase of Acopia Home Loans that is set to expand its presence in the Southeastern U.S. Processing Content The deal adds 14 branches and 36 loan originators to Lower’s network. Founded in 2007, Goodlettsville, Tennessee-based Acopia is currently licensed in 12 states, stretching from Texas
Lower acquires Acopia, expands its Southeast U.S. reach Read More »
Key insight: Citi’s fourth-quarter net income fell 13% year over year, in connection with its pending exit from Russia. What’s at stake: Overall, the New York-based megabank reported strong results for 2025, including full-year revenue of $85.2 billion, the highest annual total since Jane Fraser was named CEO in 2021. Forward look: The bank reaffirmed
Citi’s profits fall as it gets closer to exiting Russia Read More »
US mortgage rates slid last week to one of the lowest levels in years, sparking a flurry of purchase and refinancing activity that offers hope for a plodding housing market. Processing Content The contract rate on a 30-year mortgage dropped 7 basis points to 6.18% in the week ended Jan. 9, according to Mortgage Bankers
Mortgage rates slide to one of lowest levels since 2022 Read More »
US previously owned home sales climbed in December to the fastest pace since 2023, a welcome sign for a housing market that has lacked momentum for several years. Processing Content Contract closings rose 5.1% to a 4.35 million annualized pace last month, the highest since February 2023, according to figures released Wednesday by the National
US home resales climb to strongest pace since 2023 Read More »