Key Insight: The U.S. involvement in the war with Iran has driven energy prices higher, a development economists say could add to inflation and reduce the likelihood of rate cuts this year. Expert quote: “I think the Fed is just going to sit on its hands quite happily because of what’s going on in Iran […]
Iran scrambles inflation signals as Fed mulls interest rates Read More »
Pending sales of US existing homes unexpectedly rose in February for the first time in three months as buyers took advantage of lower mortgage rates and slower price growth. Processing Content An index of contract signings climbed 1.8%, according to National Association of Realtors data released Tuesday. The median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg
Pending home sales climbed in February as mortgage rates fell Read More »
Ramping up its investments in artificial intelligence, Intercontinental Exchange’s mortgage technology division announced plans to roll out borrower-facing AI voice and chat agents on its servicing platform, intended to help business partners better assist homeowners. Processing Content Leaders from the company unveiled the agents at its ICE Experience conference in Las Vegas on Tuesday. Currently
ICE upgrades servicing platform with AI voice, chat agents Read More »
JAUST, an automated underwriting system (AUS) built specifically for jumbo mortgage originations, has launched with a cloud-native platform that aims to help lenders cut underwriting costs and accelerate decision times, the company announced Tuesday. The platform is designed for portfolio lenders and mortgage banks that manage dozens of jumbo investors and complex overlays. “The mortgage
JAUST launches automated jumbo mortgage underwriting platform Read More »
Property insurance startup Rhino is looking to help real estate agents and their clients assess insurability and find insurance for properties in areas facing high rates of climate disaster risk. To achieve this goal, Rhino, an insurance brokerage that specializes in securing insurance policies for climate-risk exposed properties in California, has launched DealShield. The software
Rhino targets climate risk home insurability in California Read More »
In real estate, title insurance, and mortgage lending, transactions depend on technology operating accurately and securely behind the scenes. Every login, file access, system change, and integration generates activity that can either support business continuity or signal potential risk. One of the most overlooked yet powerful cybersecurity safeguards is maintaining and reviewing application logs. These
Reducing risk: Why logging, protection, and review matter Read More »
Homebuilding business executives maintain a guarded outlook on the homebuilding market, amid tepid demand, shrinking profit margins and weak consumer sentiment. The ongoing conflict with Iran could further complicate the outlook for builders. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI)’s builder confidence gauge remained subpar in March with a reading
Homebuilder confidence nudges up but remains below par Read More »
Small wins on impact fees occasionally occur in costly U.S. housing markets. Teton County, Wyoming, officials agreed last week to refund a $24,325 “affordable workforce housing” fee that a homeowner had to pay to obtain a permit to build a single-family home. The payment settles a lawsuit the homeowner filed last year in a Wyoming
Wyoming refund exposes legal risk for local housing fee ordinances Read More »
The remaining defendants in the Roberts sexual assault lawsuit have all independently filed motions seeking dismissal of the case. Last week, Michael Bjorkman and David Golden, two former top recruiting agents at eXp Realty, as well as eXp World Holdings and its CEO, Glenn Sanford, all filed motions for summary judgement in the sexual assault
eXp defendants move to toss Roberts sexual assault lawsuit ahead of April hearing Read More »
Financing affordable housing development – typically for lower-income households – is one of the most challenging matters in real estate. Making the economics work on a deal requires layered “hard and soft” funding sources as developers navigate rising costs, policy instability, and structural gaps in the subsidy system. The process is so complicated that professionals
Housing muni market swells amid affordability policy debate Read More »