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Author name: Ricky Vasquez

How the secondary market is shaping home equity strategies

Capital markets, Home equity loans, Secondary markets /

Nondepository origination of home equity products has been growing as traditional mortgage opportunities have waned, leading to increased reliance on secondary market buyers whose interest may vary over time. And while investors’ collective involvement has generally kept pace with increased production as lenders have originated more second liens, volatility in broader markets has led to […]

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Two maps that show where the housing market is struggling

California, Data & Visuals, Florida, Housing Market, Housing Market Data, HWmember, John Burns Real Estate Consulting, Texas /

Industry professionals were full of optimism heading into the spring that the housing market could pick up after a sluggish start to 2025. But heading into the summer, that optimism has largely faded. Existing-home sales are hovering around 4 million and many markets that are typically fruitful for homebuilders have stalled. In its midyear housing

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HUD walks back prior default guidance as too ‘burdensome’ for mortgage servicers

FHA, HUD, HWmember, Mortgage, Mortgage Servicing, Regulatory, Trump administration /

In a move that’s designed to simplify prior policy, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) on Tuesday published a new Mortgagee Letter (ML) that targets borrower default engagement practices that were published in the waning days of the Biden administration. ML 2025-14 makes changes to final guidance first floated last summer to open up communications between

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Global reverse mortgages in the news: growth, delay and launch

Australia, Canada, Home Equity, HWmember, Reverse /

While reverse mortgages in the U.S. have struggled to push beyond their current market penetration rate for the past several years, their international equivalents don’t always have the same challenges. Lenders in other countries who make use of home equity tapping in a similar way can have different perceptions and market activity in their territories

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The best state to age in place is not where you think

Aging in Place, Florida, HWmember, Idaho, New Jersey, North Dakota, Retirement, Reverse, Texas, Utah /

When you think about the best states for aging in place, the choice retirement destinations likely spring to the top of the list. After all, with high and growing populations of older residents, wouldn’t these states be an ideal place to call home in later life? Not according to a new report from Seniorly Resource

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Hall Willkie steps down as president of Brown Harris Stevens

Brokerage, HWmember, New York City, People Movers, Real Estate, Team Leaders /

Brown Harris Stevens will soon be without its longtime president, Hall Willkie.  On Monday, the real estate firm announced that Willkie will be stepping down as New York City brokerage president, effective July 1. But Willkie’s journey with the firm is not over as he will serve as a full-time consultant. His consulting contract is

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Senators call for investigation of possible DOGE ethics violations

CFPB, DOGE, Elon Musk, Housing Market, HWmember, Politics, Regulatory, Regulatory Compliance, Trump administration /

Three senators are calling on the Department of Justice (DOJ) and federal watchdogs to investigate whether U.S. DOGE Service aides tasked with downsizing government agencies violated conflict-of-interest laws by holding stocks in companies overseen by thes, according to a recent ProPublica report. The request — sent last week by Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ron Wyden

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GSEs could go public while staying under government control

Bill Pulte, Conservatorship, Fannie Mae, FHFA, Freddie Mac, GSE Reform, HWmember, LendingLife, Mortgage, Regulatory, Trump administration /

The Trump administration has studied the possibility of turning Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into public companies while keeping them under conservatorship — one of several alternatives still under consideration, according to a Bloomberg report published Tuesday. The primary goal of the administration is to reduce the U.S. budget deficit and avoid any increase in

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International interest in US housing market is up

Florida, Housing Market, HWmember, International buyers, New York City, Real Estate, Realtor.com, Texas /

International demand for U.S. real estate ticked up in the first quarter of 2025, with foreign home shoppers increasingly turning their attention to Southern markets — particularly in Florida and Texas — according to a new report from Realtor.com. Miami ranked as the most-viewed U.S. city among international buyers, accounting for 8.7% of all foreign

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Nevada lawmaker targets home purchases by institutional investors

Bill Pulte, Fannie Mae, FHFA, Foreclosure, Freddie Mac, House of Representatives, Housing Market, HWmember, Nevada, Regulatory /

Citing an issue in which families across Nevada do not have the resources to compete with institutional investors that buy up single-family homes, Rep. Susie Lee (D) has called on Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte to offer transparency when out-of-state landlords purchase foreclosed single-family homes. Lee, who represents part of Las Vegas

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