Scaling from Freelancer to Business Owner

Contract closings rose 5.1% to a 4.35 million annualized pace last month, the highest since February 2023, according to figures released Wednesday by the National Association of Realtors. 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

A pair of fair housing attorneys fired by the Department of Housing and Urban Development testified the agency has stopped enforcement of those laws. View the full article

The industry vendor SitusAMC has not publicly disclosed how many consumers, nor how many banks and lenders, were impacted in a cyberattack last fall. View the full article

A handful of former Fed officials noted that the markets' measured response to a probe into Fed Chair Jerome Powell was a result of pushback from The President allies. View the full article

The government securitization guarantor could move forward with more big-picture initiatives as well this year now that it officially has a confirmed president. View the full article

Mortgage applications for new-home purchases decreased 15.2% on a seasonally adjusted basis in December, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. View the full article

This week the conforming 30-year fixed rate mortgage fell 10 basis points, with Optimal Blue data showing it broke through, at least briefly, the 6% level. View the full article

United Wholesale Mortgage sees this branding partnership as an opportunity to recruit workers in its home market in the Detroit area, CMO Sarah DeCiantis said. View the full article

The lender claims the ransomware gang behind a breach provided proof it deleted compromised customer information, and it hasn't appeared on the dark web since. View the full article

Foreclosure filings were reported on more than 360,000 properties in the United States last year, up 14% from 2025 and 3% from 2023, according to Attom. View the full article

AI can accelerate onboarding by providing recruits with real-time feedback, support compliance by flagging documentation issues, and close the confidence gap by offering reliable answers on the spot writes the CEO of Friday Harbor View the full article

The latest Lower acquisition comes after several previous mergers with lenders as well as two last year that incorporated technology and real estate platforms. View the full article

The contract rate on a 30-year mortgage dropped 7 basis points to 6.18% in the week ended Jan. 9, according to Mortgage Bankers Association data released Wednesday. View the full article

Kelman chose to step down from the company, which he had spent 20 years running, a week before its second phase of integration with Rocket. View the full article

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Tuesday morning that consumer prices rose 0.3% in December, with annual inflation stuck at 2.7%, lending credence to the Federal Reserve's cautious stance toward interest rates heading into 2026. View the full article

Sales of new homes in the US were little changed in October near the strongest pace since 2023 as builders lured anxious customers with price cuts and incentives. View the full article

Cryptocurrency development in the mortgage industry has accelerated in no small part from easing regulation and a push from FHFA Director Bill Pulte. View the full article

A Florida man's racketeering class action case accuses two mortgage employees of conspiring with a homebuilder to facilitate fraudulent construction draws. View the full article

"These changes reflect adjustments we're making to ensure our staffing levels, locations and expertise align with current business needs; efficiencies we have gained through technology; and progress against our transformation work," the company said in a statement. View the full article

The bank did $16 billion of originations during the final three months of 2025, with the quarter-to-quarter increase beating industry-wide growth forecasts. View the full article

The megabank's net income declined by 13% during the fourth quarter as a result of a $1.2 billion pre-tax loss on sale related to the divestiture of its remaining operations in Russia. View the full article

Over 46% of mortgage transactions examined had at least one significant wire fraud or title risk, with 3.2 findings per transaction, Fundingshield said. View the full article