Author name: Ricky Vasquez

Leave some Sprout execs out of messy saga, judge says

Former executives of failed lender Sprout Mortgage could be off the hook in a long-running lawsuit from laid-off employees seeking millions of dollars in backpay. The non-qualified mortgage lender abruptly shuttered in July 2022 and allegedly left hundreds of employees without their final two paychecks. Sprout Mortgage was one of several industry players to fold […]

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FHFA Director Bill Pulte calls on Fed Chair Powell to resign

FHFA Director Bill Pulte called for Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell to resign today, shortly after President Trump urged Powell to cut the Fed funds rate by 2.5% in a social post. This follows the Federal Reserve’s decision yesterday to keep the Fed Funds rate unchanged. Although Powell pointed out the challenges of finding a

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Trump wants Powell to lower rates. Here’s how to do that

Today, President Trump called Fed Chairman Jerome Powell “Too Late” in a social post and said that he can save the country billions of dollars by shaving 2.5% off the Fed Funds rate. This is part of an ongoing Trump attack on the Fed Chair to cut rates, but is this strategy the best way

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Home flipping activity slows nationwide as profits tighten

The U.S. home flipping market showed signs of strain in the first quarter of 2025 as the number of flipped properties dropped to a six-year low and profit margins continued to erode, according to ATTOM’s Q1 2025 U.S. Home Flipping Report. A total of 67,394 single-family homes and condominiums were flipped between January and March,

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15 commission lawsuit settlements are up for final approval next week

Commission lawsuit settlement agreements from 15 real estate industry players, including major names like Keyes Co./Illustrated Properties, Side, JPAR, NextHome and Baird & Warner will be up for final approval on Tuesday, June 24. The fifteen settling defendants, which come from the Gibson and Keel suits, filed a joint motion for final approval of the

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‘Feelings-based recession’: More Americans fearful of finances

A rising tide of financial pessimism is washing over U.S. consumers, driven by concerns about inflation, global instability and a lack of economic clarity. At the same time, a solid majority of Americans remain optimistic about their financial future, according to TransUnion’s Consumer Pulse Study for the second quarter of 2025. The result is a

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Hoby Hanna talks M&A strategy, market share goals

Hoby Hanna, the CEO of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services and Hanna Holdings, joined the RealTrending podcast this week to discuss his company’s approach to growth, technology and consumer offerings. In an interview with host Tracey Velt, Hanna breaks down a selective approach to mergers and acquisitions while emphasizing cultural compatibility over rapid expansion. He

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Inside UWM’s tech evolution: How LEO and Mia are shaping the future of mortgage lending

Technology is accelerating change across the financial services industry, and United Wholesale Mortgage is at the forefront of mortgage innovation. With the launch of two groundbreaking platforms— the Loan Estimate Optimizer (LEO) and Mia, an AI-powered assistant for loan officers, UWM is setting a new benchmark for how technology and especially AI can transform the

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2025’s Top Producers by loan count

This metric supports the originators who create a high number of loans but because of factors like local home prices or products offered, have lower total dollar volumes. For example, Ashley McKenzie, a senior mortgage loan officer at Highlands Residential Mortgage in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, ranked fourth by number of loans originated, although she was

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