Endorsements of Home Equity Conversion Mortgages surged noticeably last month from a short February, but volumes are still showing weakness compared to second-half 2025 levels. Processing Content HECM endorsements increased 16.3% month over month in March to 2,117 loans, according to the latest data from Reverse Market Insight. While welcome news for lenders of the […]
March HECM bump masks a deeper slowdown Read More »
As home price appreciation continues to slow, home equity decreased again in the fourth quarter, completing a full year of annual declines. Processing Content Borrower equity fell $78.8 billion, or 0.5%, year over year, according to Cotality’s Home Equity Report for the fourth quarter of 2025. That was an average decrease of $8,500 per borrower,
Home equity dips $78.8B as appreciation weakens Read More »
The share of primary mortgages on properties that also have second liens is currently in the double digits, reflecting growth in home equity lending that’s increasingly relevant to agency mortgage-backed securities investors. Processing Content Approximately 16% of active first liens are on homes that also have seconds on them, representing a total outstanding balance of
Second liens appear on 16% of U.S. mortgages Read More »
Early-year data shows a noticeable slowdown in government-backed reverse mortgage endorsement volume, and the rise of proprietary products may be playing a role. Processing Content Endorsements of Federal Housing Administration-backed Home Equity Conversion Mortgages dropped 20.7% between January and February to 1,821 transactions, according to the latest data from Reverse Market Insight. January’s total had
HECM lenders see subdued numbers to start the year Read More »
Home Mortgage, is launching a new program to help financial professionals integrate home equity into retirement planning. Processing Content The training, offered exclusively to NAIFA members, focuses on the ethical and strategic use of housing wealth, including reverse mortgages, in retirement planning for clients 55 and older, the organizations said in a press release Tuesday.
Fairway, NAIFA reverse mortgage training targets financial advisors Read More »
In a new lawsuit that has attracted AARP, a consumer advocacy group is suing home equity investment platform Unison, the latest in a series of similar cases HEI firms have seen lodged against them. Processing Content The National Association of Consumer Advocates filed the lawsuit in District of Columbia Superior Court. Alongside its own attorneys,
AARP joins suit against Unison HEI model Read More »
Economic trends look to be a primary driver in growth of the home equity investment segment, which is seeing investor interest and liquidity enter the market in the new year but also ongoing legal obstacles. Processing Content Current housing costs are paving the way for consumer uptake. In a survey conducted last summer by HEI
HEIs see boost from investors but also legal setbacks Read More »
A new class action lawsuit claims Carrington Mortgage Services, Celink and Finance of America Reverse have squeezed thousands of dollars of illegal fees out of tens of thousands of older homeowners. Processing Content Representatives for reverse mortgage borrowers say the homeowners were overcharged for a variety of fees and suffered inflated interest and mortgage insurance
AARP sues Celink, Carrington, Finance of America over HECMs Read More »
Finance of America, a provider of home equity-based financing solutions for retirement, looks to expand its client base and grow originations, securing its second partnership in the last two months. Processing Content The lender and funds managed by Blue Owl Capital, a New York-based alternative asset manager, enhanced their previous partnership with a $2.5 billion
Finance of America secures major Blue Owl investment Read More »
Borrower equity in the U.S. saw a third-quarter pullback, while a corresponding increase in underwater mortgages is raising concerns about the financial health and debt levels of some homeowners, according to Cotality. Processing Content Home equity levels declined by $373.8 billion year over year in the third quarter, representing a drop of 2.1% to approximately
US home equity drops $374B as underwater mortgages rise Read More »