Scaling from Freelancer to Business Owner

A National Mortgage News/Snapdocs survey of 100 lenders found 90% use some form of what could be considered a digital closing, up from 74% two-years ago. View the full article

Recent high-profile ethics violations by senior Federal Reserve officials, including new revelations concerning stock trades by former Fed Gov. Adriana Kugler, have sparked debate over the effectiveness of the central bank's oversight, even as some observers stress such cases remain rare. View the full article

A Department of Government Efficiency team is working with FDIC leadership to "increase efficiency," which could include cuts to contracts and streamlining staff. FDIC says DOGE staffers have "appropriate clearances." View the full article

The task force terminated vendor contracts at the Department of Housing and Urban Development worth a combined $305 million, according to its wall of receipts. View the full article

A federal judge has ordered a staff member of the Department of Government Efficiency and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's top lawyer to appear at an evidentiary hearing next week. View the full article

The regulator is reviewing Fannie's operations and those of another government-sponsored enterprise, where there was reportedly a separate executive departure. View the full article

On Thursday, prosecutors unsuccessfully tried again to ask a grand jury in a different Virginia court to return an indictment. View the full article

The Justice Department subpoenaed a key witness in the case, questioning the conduct of Bill Pulte and Ed Martin. View the full article

The Department of Justice has filed a motion opposing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau employee union's appeal of an August DC Circuit ruling allowing the administration to fire up to 90% of the agency's workforce. View the full article

The Department of Justice said in a court filing Friday that a February stop-work order from acting Consumer Financial Protection Bureau director Russell Vought did not entail stopping statutorily-mandated work by the bureau, defying earlier testimony. View the full article

A federal court cannot modify a preliminary injunction to compel the acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to request funding for the agency, the Department of Justice said. View the full article

The Department of Justice told a court that the bureau cannot legally request funding from the Federal Reserve System, arguing that the Fed has not turned a profit since 2022 and thus cannot fund the CFPB. View the full article

Doug Duncan may be retired from Fannie Mae, but not from the housing market—his new firm is ramping up with writing, speaking, and advisory work. View the full article

The judge's order allows potentially thousands of consumers to join the lawsuit against the company, similar to other fights between borrowers and servicers. View the full article

In dollar terms, the amounts consumers had to come up with increased by $500 on a consecutive quarter basis, in contrast to a $100 drop the year before. View the full article

This year it took a homebuyer seven years to save for a typical down payment on a house, compared with 12, according to Realtor.com. View the full article

The builder's lending unit bought servicing and secondary market approvals that weren't part of Guild's previous acquisition of CCM's production and branding. View the full article

The homebuilder agreed to acquire Alliant National in a transaction announced last October, with this deal closing after the Cherry Creek mortgage purchase. View the full article

The builder reported increased revenue from a year ago, with profits near par, as it sets to absorb new acquisitions across different lines of business. View the full article

Getting settlement agents and other stakeholders involved was a challenge, but e-note use has finally become routine for some mortgage lenders buying loans. View the full article

Tariff and layoff worries are leading some to reconsider pending deals, but a surplus of existing homes now has other buyers backing out as well, Redfin said. View the full article

Housing affordability will improve by 3% next year, according to First American's September Real House Price Index. View the full article