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Mortgage

HomeAdvantage, Affinity Federal Credit Union relaunch partnership

Credit Union, Homeownership, HWmember, Lenders, Mortgage, Partnerships, Real Estate /

HomeAdvantage, a real estate benefits program for credit unions, has relaunched its partnership with Affinity Federal Credit Union — giving members renewed access to real estate tools, expert guidance and potential savings throughout the home buying and selling process. Through HomeAdvantage, members can access home search tools, local market insights, connections to experienced real estate […]

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Kind Lending restructures leadership team with new president and COO

HWmember, Lenders, Mortgage, People Movers, Team Leaders /

Kind Lending announced multiple leadership changes this week as company co-founder Yvonne Ketchum moves from the president role’s to a part-time role as president emeritus and executive adviser as she begins semi-retirement. As a result, chief operating officer Jennifer Folk will assume the role of president and Stephanie Gibbons has been promoted to COO. Before

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Potential cuts to FHA premiums weigh on mortgage insurers

FHA, FHA loan, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Mortgage, Mortgage insurance /

Shares in publicly traded mortgage insurance companies dropped between 5% to 8% in a single day and are down by 5% to 12% so far this year, according to an investor note published Tuesday by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods (KBW). KBW analysts Bose George and Frankie Labetti explained that the main concern appears to be tied

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NAMB urges FHA to end lifetime mortgage insurance rule

FHA, FHA loan, Government Lending, HWmember, LendingLife, Mortgage, Mortgage insurance, NAMB, Regulatory /

The National Association of Mortgage Brokers (NAMB) is urging the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to end its “life of loan” mortgage insurance rule and let borrowers cancel premiums once they’ve paid down their loan to 78% of their home’s value. NAMB believes the policy is outdated and unfair. Current rules mean that many FHA borrowers

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House bill would raise VA mortgage fees to fund veterans’ benefits

Community Home Lenders of America, House of Representatives, HWmember, LendingLife, Mortgage, Origination, Regulatory, VA Loan, Veterans /

Mortgage trade groups are closely monitoring a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that would raise fees on Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) mortgages to help fund other veterans’ benefits. The Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act of 2025 (H.R. 6047) — introduced in November by Rep. Tom Barrett (R-Mich.) and

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Justin Demola joins Equifax as SVP of mortgage and housing

Altisource, Equifax, HWmember, Lenders One, Mortgage, People Movers, Team Leaders /

Justin Demola announced via social media on Monday that he’s joining consumer credit reporting agency Equifax as its senior vice president of mortgage and housing. Demola, the Mortgage Bankers Association’s resident Certified Mortgage Banker instructor, shared the career move on LinkedIn. He also serves on the board of directors for the Mortgage Bankers Association of

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DOJ probe into Powell prompts bipartisan backlash

Department of Justice, Donald Trump, Federal Reserve, HWmember, Jerome Powell, Mortgage, Mortgage Rates, Politics, Regulatory /

Following Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s disclosure on Sunday that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has issued grand jury subpoenas to the central bank, the investigation has triggered political backlash on Capitol Hill. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, said he backs Powell and accused the DOJ of threatening the

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The $2–4% mortgage trap is freezing housing: Defeasance may be the way out

Contributors, Housing Crisis, Housing Market, Housing Market Data, HWmember, Mortgage, Opinion, Real Estate /

For the past several years, the U.S. housing market has faced an unusual constraint: not a lack of  buyers, but a lack of sellers willing — or able — to move. Millions of homeowners remain “rate-locked,” holding mortgages originated in 2020–2022 at  interest rates between 2% and 4% (Federal Housing Finance Agency; Freddie Mac Primary 

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December jobs data continues to support lower mortgage rates

Housing Market, Housing Starts, HWmember, Jobs Report, Mortgage, Mortgage Rates /

Jobs Friday came and went without much reaction in bond yields because the labor market isn’t breaking, nor is it getting stronger. Mortgage rates dropped into the 5s for a short time on Friday as a result of Trump’s earlier announcement directing the GSEs to buy $200 billion in mortgage backed securities. The 10-year yield

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Sharp decline in mortgage rates revives hopes of a refi surge, LOs say

HWmember, LendingLife, Loan Officer, Mortgage, Mortgage Rates, Origination, Refinancing /

Mortgage rates briefly fell below 6% on Friday for the first time in nearly three years — driven by President Donald Trump’s proposed $200 billion push in the secondary market. If they stay that low, they are expected to spur refinance activity.  Historically, a 22–basis-point decline in the 30-year fixed mortgage rate, such as the

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