By DARIA BACHMANN “As a broker, I believe in choice. A broker is supposed to shop around, look for what’s best for the consumer. I don’t want people to coerce me, I try to have freedom as a broker.” That’s the view of Thuan Nguyen, CEO of Loan Factory, who talked to The Mortgage Note about the impact on his company and customers from United Wholesale Mortgage’s anti-competition ultimatum one year ago. UWM’s controversial CEO Mat Ishbia told brokers like the Loan Factory they had to stop working with Rocket Mortgage and Fairway Independent Mortgage if they wanted to keep offering loans from his company. In recent weeks, Ishbia proved his threats were more than mere bullying. He’s taking legal…
By SCOTT KIMBLER Across the country, especially in urban metropolitan areas, it’s becoming as difficult to find a rental property as it is to buy a home. “It’s just going to keep happening,” said economist Roy Black of Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. “It is the perfect storm: Supply chain issues, inflation, gas prices going up. It is everything happening from different angles. The middle class, even the upper middle class, is being squeezed. Prices are squeezing the people whose salaries are not increasing at the pace of the cost of living. About the only thing people can do is bargain-hunt until they find something or move farther and farther out where the rents are cheaper.” Elizbeth Rose with Mortgage…
By KIMBERLEY HAAS The CEO of California-based America’s MoneyLine is fighting back after being slapped with a $2.8 million lawsuit from lending giant United Wholesale Mortgage. In a statement released on Friday morning, Shawn Nevin claimed that UWM uses illegal, anti-competitive practices. At issue is the “All In” policy implemented by UWM CEO Mat Ishbia. Ishbia said in a Facebook Live message last March that brokers who work with Fairway Independent or Rocket Mortgage could no longer work with UWM. “Mat Ishbia’s ‘ultimatum’ is a blatant and desperate attempt to maintain his company’s grip on the throat of mortgage brokers across the country,” Nevin said. “As he works tirelessly to craft a false narrative around being champions of brokers, his…
By KIMBERLEY HAAS Leaders at Bank of America say home loan applications initiated through their Digital Mortgage Experience accounted for 81% of total mortgage applications in 2021. That is up from 45% in 2020. Last year, Bank of America funded $53.7 billion in first mortgage loans through the Digital Mortgage Experience, 2.5 times their 2020 volume. People can use the digital tool to prequalify for loans, apply for a new mortgage, and refinance their existing mortgage. “Clients expect fast, smart digital tools that help make their banking, investing, and lending experience easy and convenient,” Matt Vernon, Retail Lending Executive for Bank of America, said in a statement. Vernon said that the combination of digital capabilities and support from lending specialists…
By KIMBERLEY HAAS State officials in New Jersey will use $10 million in federal funding to purchase mortgage notes of homes on the verge of foreclosure to stem the loss of single-family houses to rental property investment firms. When Governor Phil Murphy made the announcement, officials said his administration anticipates using the funding from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to purchase non-performing mortgage notes from the FHA prior to foreclosure proceedings. If the homeowner still lives at the property, efforts will be made to assist them. If the property has been abandoned, steps will be taken to obtain the title. The property will be rehabilitated and put back on the market, according to a press release. New Jersey’s…
By KIMBERLEY HAAS Monthly asking rates for rentals increased an estimated 15.2% year-over-year in January, and some economists say this is accounting for a significant portion of recent inflation. Redfin is reporting that last month the average asking rent was $1,891, which is the largest annual jump since at least February of 2020. The national median monthly mortgage payment for homebuyers climbed by 25% year-over-year to $1,595. That is also the biggest increase in Redfin’s records. Redfin Chief Economist Daryl Fairweather noted that rising mortgage rates are shrinking more Americans out of the for-sale market, which will likely put increasing pressure on rents this year. “Moving right now is expensive, whether you’re renting or buying,” Fairweather said. “One of the only…
By DOUG OHLEMEIER Despite many employees working from home and companies adopting hybrid work models, investors are still attracted to the land of cubicles. While office suites aren’t as packed with workers as before the pandemic, the commercial market remains strong. “There is investor interest in office properties,” said Stephen Newbold, National Director in the U.S. office of research for Colliers International, a Toronto, Ontario-based global real estate services and investment management company. “We are at a stage where we can fairly confidently say that we’re not going back to those (2020) levels. It may fluctuate a little, but my overarching view is we are stabilizing on vacancies and space on the market.” Observers aren’t sure how the new work…
By DARIA BACHMANN United Wholesale Mortgage is facing more public scrutiny as court battles — and backlash from brokers — mount. The second-largest mortgage lender in the nation, UWM has come under criticism over how it treats both its employees and its customers. UWM announced in April it would force brokers to sign an agreement that they will not work with Rocket Mortgage or Fairway Independent Mortgage – or else be banned from work with UWM, the largest wholesale mortgage lender. Mortgage industry leaders called the ban “unethical and uncompetitive.” Bob Broeksmit, head of the Mortgage Bankers Association, said at the time, “MBA does not condone activities designed to thwart competition in the mortgage market and limit loan options available to borrowers.” UWM,…
By KIMBERLEY HAAS Eligible homeowners in New Jersey can receive up to $35,000 to help protect themselves against foreclosures. Officials at the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency have opened an application portal for the Emergency Rescue Mortgage Assistance program. The money, which comes in the form of a three-year forgivable loan with no interest or payments due, can be used for the following: -Mortgage reinstatement -Escrow shortages -Delinquent property taxes -Municipal or property tax liens -Mortgage payments, including principal, interest, taxes, and homeowner’s insurance To qualify for assistance, a homeowner must: -Own and occupy an eligible one- to four-unit primary residence -Have been current on mortgage and property taxes as of January 2020 -Have experienced a COVID-19 related…
By KIMBERLEY HAAS This Valentine’s Day, if your heart is broken because you keep falling in love with homes to lose them to other buyers, you are not alone. Cindy Flynn, Director of Corporate Services at Comey & Shepherd in Cincinnati, Ohio, said buyers in her market are currently submitting an average of eight offers before landing a home. Although buyers are getting a thicker skin, Flynn said, the process is still an emotional one. She suggests keeping an open mind, a positive attitude, and faith that this spring there will be more inventory available. “I hold true to the idea that everything happens for a reason,” Flynn told The Mortgage Note in an interview. “There are other fish in…
