Good Morning! Today is Tuesday, October 3. Rep. Matt Gaetz called for a vote on removing Kevin McCarthy as House speaker for working with Democrats to prevent a shutdown. A North Dakota state senator and members of his family died in a Utah plane crash. Trump called for the judge to be disbarred on the first day of his NY civil fraud case.
The Mortgage Note Reports
Who Is Suzanne Okun?: Opinion writer Jared Whitley is on the hunt for the identity of the mysterious ‘Suzanne Okun,’ and her connections to UWM’s Mat Ishbia and longtime AIME ally Anthony Casa.
Prices Rising: Home prices rose again in August, with New England seeing a spike as affordability-minded buyers look for deals outside the hot West and Southern regions.
Onward Opens In GA: Newrez teamed up with Keller Williams Georgia Legacy Group to launch a joint venture mortgage company, Onward Home Mortgage.
CRE’s Changing Face: As companies work to determine what their office demands will be post-pandemic, commercial real estate experts continue to debate the impacts on the industry and the banking system. Editor Kimberley Haas has the story.
In other mortgage and housing news…
No Pay-To-Pay: A federal district court ruled in favor of a class-action plaintiff, approving a summary judgment against two mortgage servicers in a pay-to-pay suit.
NAR Fallout: Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman cited NAR’s harassment scandal and other grievances as reasons for calling on 1,800 Realtors to cancel memberships.
Zillow Suit: A jury found in favor of Zillow in a high-profile case against REX related to class action suits focused on agent commission structure and policy.
Lying To Lenders: A California real estate executive pleaded guilty to engaging in an extensive multi-year conspiracy to deceive lenders with falsified documents.