Author name: Ricky Vasquez

Mortgage credit offerings at loosest in over two years

Growth in loan products across the board in anticipation of the annual home purchase season pushed mortgage credit to its loosest in over two-and-a-half years, the Mortgage Bankers Association said. However, rate lock activity fell nearly 6% in May from April, as conforming mortgage rates rose over 16 basis points during the month, a separate […]

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Housing prices soften further in Sunbelt, West, report shows

Housing prices decelerated to their slowest growth rate in two years, offering positive signals for consumers looking to buy a home in 2025, according to a new report from Intercontinental Exchange. ICE Markets’ latest Home Price Index showed housing values were up just 1.4% in May year-over-year. Seasonally-adjusted prices fell by 0.01% compared to a

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Trigger leads bill advances on Capitol Hill

A trigger leads bill on Capitol Hill is moving forward as lawmakers backed the effort to protect the privacy of mortgage applicants nationwide. The House Financial Services Committee on Tuesday unanimously adopted the Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act, an amendment to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, which would prohibit some lenders from contacting borrowers. Consumers and

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Johnson urges Senate to minimize changes to $40K SALT deal

House Speaker Mike Johnson said he’s pressuring Senate Republicans to refrain from changing a deal to increase the state and local tax deduction cap to $40,000, pushing back on President Donald Trump’s willingness to scale back the write-off. “I’ve asked them to modify it as little as possible because I’ve got a very delicate balance

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Better taps Leah Price to head Tinman’s growth efforts

Better Home & Finance tapped Leah Price, former fintech lead at the Federal Housing Finance Agency, to oversee its artificial intelligence-driven Tinman loan origination platform. One of Price’s main objectives will be to “disrupt” the mortgage technology playing field, by competing with legacy players like Encompass, which powered over 5 million mortgages in 2024. Price

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With rate locks up, Optimal Blue launches automated refinance tool

Amid expectations that interest rate declines may reignite refinance activity, Optimal Blue on Monday launched a new tool that automatically analyzes loan officer portfolios each month to identify recapture opportunities. The tool is designed to ensure loan officers are ready when refinance volume picks up. While refinances declined in May from the prior month, Optimal

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Prefab tiny homes: Here’s what you need to know – Part 2

With housing costs soaring, many homeowners are looking for creative ways to maximize their property value while providing additional living options. ADUs offer a flexible, cost-effective way to generate rental income, accommodate aging family members, or even provide young adults with an independent living space—all without the need for costly relocations or massive new developments.

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How DOGE could shrink federal housing spending

Enjoy complimentary access to top ideas and insights — selected by our editors. As the Trump Administration looks for cost savings at HUD and FHFA, they are learning that things that seem easy to achieve on the surface can be far more complex in practice. After the relatively easy task of headcount reductions, for example,

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