Scaling from Freelancer to Business Owner

Equifax Inc. said the Iran war prompted more caution about the outlook for the rest of the year, even after a surge in mortgage applications drove first-quarter revenue growth to the fastest in more than four years. View the full article

March home sales increased 31.6% from February, the largest month-over-month jump since 37.4% in 2023, according to Remax's latest national housing report. View the full article

Pending sales of previously owned US homes climbed for a second month in March as a pickup in inventory helped mitigate higher borrowing costs. View the full article

First Mortgage Co., a long-defunct lender led by convicted executive Ron McCord, blamed the advisory firm for his failure to accept a $20 million offer. View the full article

About two-thirds of respondents to a NewDay survey said their education about the benefit was lacking either during their time in the service or afterwards. View the full article

Banks are pushing back on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's draft of a five-year strategic plan, which includes a notable pullback from supervising nonbanks. View the full article

Over half of all second-home inventory in the U.S. is concentrated in just eight states, with Florida leading the pack, according to analysis by NAHB. View the full article

Certain affiliates of Blue Owl will acquire all outstanding shares of common stock of the healthcare-focused real estate investment trust for $30.38 per share. View the full article

Mortgage lenders' crisis communications frameworks are too slow for today's markets, leaving dangerous narrative gaps, according to the founder of ClearLine. View the full article

Developers including D.R. Horton Inc., Lennar Corp. and KB Home all missed expectations last quarter and estimates suggest both sales and earnings have fallen further as conflict in the Middle East unsettled buyers and raised costs. View the full article

Treasurys posted solid gains Friday as oil futures dropped $15 a barrel, while the S&P 500 logged its 10th straight day of higher highs, according to the head of correspondent business development at AD Mortgage. View the full article

The former Fed governor's upcoming confirmation hearing will test whether he can satisfy both a president demanding lower rates and a Congress demanding independence. View the full article

Some litigants are "knuckleheads" but others are real threats, and well-pleaded cases can easily cost companies millions of dollars, TCPA attorney Eric Troutman said. View the full article

A new EquityProtect scorecard finds 16 states have no deed fraud laws, leaving homeowners vulnerable as real estate fraud losses topped $275 million in 2025, with seniors bearing the heaviest financial burden. View the full article

About 43% of Americans upgraded their homes last year, and 33% plan to remodel in the next year, according to a recent survey from Redfin. View the full article

Sun Belt states saw a noticeable surge in liens filed last year, with Florida accounting for 17% of the national total, according to Benutech. View the full article

CEO Tim Spence said folding in the acquired bank has gone to plan so far, but the biggest point of risk is still on the horizon. View the full article

Surge, which claims to serve some of the nation's larger wholesale players, said the lender's behavior was reminiscent of its spat with Black Knight. View the full article

Questions about the single-report option and whether VantageScore should be introduced before FICO 10T arose during a hearing on broader legislative proposals. View the full article

Oil prices and Treasury yields continued their close correlation Friday, with crude falling $12 and the 5-year yield hitting recovery lows after Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz open during the ceasefire. View the full article

SecurityNational Mortgage Co. alleges that the larger competitor facilitated the mass resignation of its staff from Glendale and Scottsdale offices. View the full article

The bank's marketing, which hid the nature of its solicitations, led some borrowers to apply for cash-out refis that increased monthly payments, the OCC said. View the full article

While last year was the best for origination income since 2022, annual net servicing revenue for mortgage bankers was approximately 70% below 2024's level. View the full article

Three-quarters of buyers assume AI has already been embedded in the housing ecosystem, but 55% would prefer to work with a human to secure a mortgage. View the full article

Federal Reserve Gov. Stephen Miran Thursday said that the Iran war and tariffs will not have long-term impacts on inflation, but did say he is reconsidering his rate cut outlook for the year. View the full article