Scaling from Freelancer to Business Owner

The merger of equals, which received a chilly reception from investors when it was announced in July, closed faster than analysts had expected. View the full article

The Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago will be offering more funding and higher per-member limits as part of its 2026 Community Advance program. View the full article

The government-sponsored enterprise is under fire from dozens of the more than 100 workers it fired last spring for allegedly committing fraud. View the full article

Mamdani issued several other orders, including one that created a new office devoted to community engagement and three that concern housing and real estate. View the full article

Although some of the cohort surveyed were flush with savings, others admitted having precarious debt situations and steadfast attitudes toward luxury purchases. View the full article

But a senior administration official said the DOJ, not Pulte, is behind the subpoena that relates to Powell's congressional testimony about Fed building renovations. View the full article

Nearly half of all credit card users carry a balance, according to Academy Bank. Higher non-mortgage debt levels can affect home loan underwriting. View the full article

Total lock volume increased 2% from November and finished 30% higher than last December, according to Optimal Blue's latest Market Advantage report. 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

Confidence among US homebuilders unexpectedly fell in January, as costly sales incentives outweighed a recent boost from lower mortgage rates and the president's housing proposals. View the full article

Hartford, Connecticut, topped Zillow's list of the hottest housing markets this year on the back of its nation-leading home-price appreciation forecast. View the full article

Markets brushed off mixed, stale data as tariff news sparked a brief rally, but open Treasury gaps kept bond signals cautious, according to the CEO of IF Securities. View the full article

While FHFA reported a year-over-year increase in national home values in November, the Case-Shiller HPI saw flat annual growth as well as monthly decreases. View the full article

The reverse mortgage companies squeezed thousands of dollars out of aging homeowners through various illegal fees, according to a new class action suit. View the full article

Bowing to industry pressure, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is warning consumers with notices on its complaint portal not to file disputes about inaccurate information on credit reports, among other changes. View the full article

The lawsuit targets Zillow Flex, in which participating agents must meet Zillow Home Loans pre-approval quotas to maintain access to high quality leads. View the full article

The mortgage company, even though it is owned by a bank, has been profitable for the last two years, when considering its originations operations, as it does. View the full article

Policy reviews of GSEs and Basel rules could reshape the MSR market, opening opportunities for banks and altering Fannie, Freddie MBS dynamics. View the full article

While the tone is still generally upbeat, the market is mired below October's price highs and yields are range-bound. View the full article

Fortress has been one of the most active home equity investment firms in November, investing $1 billion in Cornerstone. View the full article

Declining issuances since 2022 led to a request for information regarding the future direction of the reverse mortgage program, and NRMLA and MBA responded. View the full article

Private-sector payrolls decreased by 32,000, according to ADP Research data released Wednesday. Payrolls have now fallen four times in the last six months. View the full article

Delinquency trends split in Q3, with securitized and agency loans showing more strain while banks and life companies saw small improvements amid uneven vacancy and rent conditions. View the full article

A senior advisor at NAIC, the association of state insurance regulators, told attendees of its fall meeting that the imminent FEMA Review Council report should answer questions about funding for disaster relief and flood insurance, as well as other related issues. View the full article

Hartford, Connecticut, Rochester, New York, and Worcester, Massachusetts, headed the list of the 100 largest metro areas in the country, according to Realtor.com. View the full article