Scaling from Freelancer to Business Owner

An index of contract signings fell 0.8% last month to the lowest level in data from 2001, following a revised 7.4% decline in December, according to National Association of Realtors figures released Thursday. View the full article

About 1.3% of residential properties in the United States were vacant at the beginning of the year, Attom found. View the full article

The credit reporting agency must revise its customer agreements because a judge disagreed with its attempt to end the case through an arbitration clause. View the full article

TransUnion projected moderate growth in 2026 for mortgages, projecting purchases and refinances to increase 4% and 4.2% year over year. View the full article

New residential construction in the US rose to a five-month high in December, as homebuilders boosted production to take advantage of lower borrowing costs. View the full article

Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman said in comments Wednesday that the central bank plans to publish its Basel III endgame capital proposal for public comment before the end of March. View the full article

Some market sectors face growing challenges related to a K-shaped economy as servicers play an increasingly important role in keeping customers. View the full article

Loans will continue to be originated and closed in the name of Firstrust Bank but the MortgageCountry will oversee lending end-to-end and provide its leadership. View the full article

Data breach extortion group ShinyHunters used social engineering to steal customer names, addresses and phone numbers from the blockchain lender. View the full article

Residential lending remains steady in select cities as resilient housing markets, strong employment, limited supply, and migration trends shape borrower demand. View the full article

A White House Council of Economic Advisers report published Tuesday found that the CFPB cost consumers between $237 and $369 billion since its creation, an analysis that consumer advocates and some financial academics say is flawed. View the full article

Falling rates spurred a refi surge that pushed defect rates to 1.79% in Q3, driven by income and compliance documentation gaps as lenders ran lean, per Aces Quality Management. View the full article

The typical homebuyer's down payment in the United States decreased 1.5% year over year to $64,000 in December, Redfin said. View the full article

Banks and credit unions are pairing AI-driven efficiency with stable staffing and cross-training to scale mortgage production as originations rebound and technology expands capacity. View the full article

Toll Brothers Inc. fell short of analysts' estimates for quarterly orders, signaling that fewer people are signing contracts to build homes as high prices and economic uncertainty hold some buyers back. View the full article

An index of market conditions from the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo, in which below 50 means more builders see conditions as poor than good, edged down in February to 36, the lowest level since September. View the full article

The mortgage broker trade group put out a white paper calling for lowering transaction costs, increasing housing supply and reducing regulatory barriers. View the full article

The Public Interest Law Center filed an amicus curiae brief arguing against a joint motion to end a redlining agreement early against Lakeland Bank. View the full article

Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman said in a speech Monday morning that the central bank will introduce two capital proposals that she said are aimed at boosting banks' role in the mortgage market. View the full article

Some vendors' voice agents have quoted "outrageously low" interest rates to consumers, among other potential violations, according to one expert. View the full article

Originators of the clean energy loans will have to follow stricter lending laws, a move that program administrators say will hike costs and reduce funding. View the full article

An ugly legal dispute between two San Diego credit unions offers a warning about what can go wrong when careful relationship-building doesn't precede a marriage. View the full article

Treasuries rallied and broke key levels, but stubborn 5-year resistance still caps momentum and rate-cut expectations remain unchanged, the CEO of IF Securities writes. View the full article

In a speech Tuesday, Federal Reserve Gov. Michael Barr said it was possible that artificial intelligence will boost productivity in an undisruptive way. But he said policymakers should also be wary of a financial crash if those gains are not realized or a rapid adoption that could lead to labor displacement. View the full article

The two organizations announced the Certified Home Equity Advisor credential, which will help financial professionals integrate home equity in retirement plans. View the full article