Will spring be a bust? 4 decades of housing data tell a complex story

Past periods of high inflation and high rates — be it in 1979, 1980 or 1990 — have caused the housing market to stall. But they also didn’t crush it forever, according to an Inman analysis. Continue reading

Bank turmoil could spark ‘modest’ recession in second half of year

Fannie Mae economists say jumbo mortgages and construction loans could get more scarce if regional banks tighten lending standards. Continue reading

Fathom Realty still adding agents after raising transaction fees

In reporting a $9.9 million fourth-quarter loss, Fathom executives said they see a path to profitability without saying exactly when that might happen. Continue reading

Fed Chair Jerome Powell signals latest rate hike could be the last

Mortgage rates expected to ease even as Fed vows to continue “quantitative tightening” that’s trimming mortgage holdings by $35 billion a month. Continue reading

Homebuyer demand up 3rd week in a row as mortgage rates ease

The unusually wide “spread” between 10-year Treasury yields and 30-year fixed-rate mortgages means mortgage rates could have more room to come down. Continue reading

Software vendors gear up to support appraisal-free mortgages

Starting April 15, Fannie Mae says more homebuyers will qualify for a program requiring full interior and exterior inspections that capture data and images throughout the property. Continue reading

Guild’s McGarry will hand CEO reins to Terry Schmidt, her 1st hire

Terry Schmidt was Mary Ann McGarry’s first hire at Guild in 1985, and the two led a 2007 management buyout of the company from founder Martin Gleich. Continue reading

Flagstar Bank takes over Signature Bank’s retail branches

The $2.7 billion deal does not include about $4 billion in crypto-related deposits held by the former Signature Bank’s digital-assets banking business, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Continue reading

New mortgage fee won’t debut until after spring homebuying season

Industry groups continue to object to a new Fannie and Freddie fee aimed at some riskier borrowers as a burden on lenders and consumers. Continue reading

Even after layoffs, 3 in 4 mortgage lenders lost money in Q4 2022

Lenders lost $2,812 per loan as business dropped off faster than they could trim expenses and production costs hit a record-high $12,450 per loan, a Mortgage Bankers Association survey found. Continue reading