Rocket, Mr. Cooper merger OK’d by Fannie and Freddie regulator

A green light from the Federal Housing Finance Agency and antitrust regulators sets the stage for a Sept. 3 vote by Mr. Cooper shareholders on $9.4 billion mega merger. Continue reading

With fresh capital, Knock ups the limit on its bridge loans to $1M

Institutional investors snapped up a securitization of Knock bridge loans, paving the way for the company to scale lending by nearly $1 billion over the next 2 years. Continue reading

Evergreen Home Loans hiring to serve 29 additional states

After setting up shop in 11 new states, lender’s “strategic expansion into carefully identified markets nationwide” will include 18 additional states before next year’s spring homebuying season. Continue reading

Small lenders oppose combining Fannie, Freddie into single entity

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac should continue to operate as separate companies rather than merged into a single entity, and be regulated like utilities with a cap on excessive fees and prohibitions on backing risky loans. That’s the perspective of a… Continue reading

Mortgage rates drop sharply as Powell shifts stance on rate cuts

Investors pushed bond yields and mortgage rates down Friday after Fed chair says policymakers are starting to see unemployment as a bigger risk to the U.S. economy than inflation. Continue reading

Pulte dismisses claims he is ‘weaponizing’ mortgage fraud

A “Wall Street Journal” editorial calls Pulte’s criminal referral of Federal Reserve governor “an ominous turn in political lawfare” and warns that “weaponizing” Fannie and Freddie’s federal regulator “won’t build confidence in America’s institutions o… Continue reading

Let mortgage lenders pull one credit score, trade group says

The tri-merge system is “an anachronism from the days when there were significant disparities in coverage by the credit bureaus,” MBA says in advocating new approach. Continue reading

Fannie Mae dials back sales expectations by 220,000 homes

Driving the revised forecast are expectations for slightly cooler economic growth and hotter inflation, which could mean mortgage rates come down a little more slowly. Continue reading

RE/MAX taps an industry veteran to revive Motto Mortgage brand

Former PHH Mortgage executive Vic Lombardo was most recently COO of Guaranteed Rate Affinity, a joint venture between nonbank lender Guaranteed Rate and Anywhere Real Estate. Continue reading

Newrez pays $2.3M to settle Caliber overcharge allegations

California regulators collect $1.8 million fine after accusing Caliber Home Loans of overcharging nearly 5,000 borrowers for interest that accrued before their first mortgage payment was due. Continue reading