Scaling from Freelancer to Business Owner

The Federal Reserve, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. issued a final rule Tuesday that softens leverage demands for the biggest and most systemically risky banks and lowers the community bank leverage ratio to 8%. View the full article

The Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency say they will move to rescind a 2023 reform to the Community Reinvestment Act, citing litigation concerns about the rule. View the full article

Connecticut banking officials cited a series of alleged violations, including false and misleading statements and failure to maintain complete loan files. View the full article

Even though Motto Mortgage has 8% fewer open offices than a year ago, executives touted franchise renewals with owners committing to another seven years. View the full article

Vic Lombardo, new head of mortgage services, has identified growth ideas and new revenue streams for Motto Mortgage and Wemlo, Remax CEO Erik Carlson said. View the full article

A federal appeals court ruled mortgages in REMIC trusts may qualify as ERISA plan assets, reviving fiduciary duty claims against Onity in a case brought by a union pension fund. View the full article

NAHB's remodeling index finished at its highest mark in a year, with the current industry outlook standing in stark contrast to homebuilder sentiment. View the full article

Median rents rose at a greater rate than median sales prices in 55% of the 416 counties with sufficient data between 2025 and 2026, Attom found. View the full article

The rent reporting platform says it's helped tenants raise their credit scores by double digits and unlocked $30 billion more in mortgage lending. View the full article

In a paper, former central bank researchers make the case that the Federal Reserve could better support the Treasury market from disruptions in the cash-futures basis trade by hedging its asset purchases. View the full article

Robert Wagnon is retiring and sold his 75% share to long-time mortgage executive Andrina Valdes, while Paulina McGrath remains as co-owner and president. View the full article

Lawsuits and probes are ramping up, and some courts have broadened the lending law's statute of limitations, said Bradley Partner Jonathan Kolodziej. View the full article

More than 21% of reverse mortgage clients entered counseling with a deficit in their monthly budget last year, almost double the 12.2% of clients in 2024. View the full article

Mortgage groups want GSEs to buy MBS to lower rates, but the Chairman of Whalen Global Advisors writes that the plan is risky, unnecessary, and poorly timed. View the full article

Years ago, the Federal Housing Administration helped finance thousands of loans for manufactured housing. An effort to restart that program would help millions of Americans afford their own homes. View the full article

The acquisition agreement is the latest example of merger activity this year focused on the recapture potential held within servicing pipelines. View the full article

Market watchers say that the economy as a whole is holding up under higher energy prices and do not expect a recession. Even so, observers are watching financial markets and consumer spending for signs that inflation expectations are taking hold. View the full article

The rapid rise in the cost of both insurance coverage and taxes leaves close to half of homeowners worried about their ability to make payments. View the full article

Home affordability declined on a monthly basis across loan types and racial demographics, but improved from a year ago, the Mortgage Bankers Association said. View the full article

Overlooked controls and fragmented oversight leave mortgage lenders exposed to enforcement, litigation, and reputational damage. Learn how to close the gaps. View the full article

Vista Equity Partners put funds into the regulatory technology firm, which Asurity Technologies has partnered with since 2015. View the full article

The newly created entity, Rithm Acquisition, is a possible, albeit unlikely, way to finally take its NewRez mortgage lending business public. View the full article

The record-settting fixed-rate nonrecourse financing potentially opens up a new opportunity for nonbank mortgage companies with large MSR portfolios. View the full article

Rithm Acquisition Corp. is selling 20 million units of combined stock and warrants for $10 each, with trading expected to begin on Feb. 27 on the NYSE. View the full article