Bonzo’s CEO Says You Can Have It All

By KIMBERLEY HAAS The newly named Chief Executive Officer for Bonzo said in a recent interview that a secret to success is building work around your life. “What do you love to do? What are you interested in?” Chad Jampedro asked while talking about what his advice to young people is. “Choose your obsession,” Jampedro said. “You can have it all.” Jampedro sat down with The Mortgage Note after transitioning from home lending to relationship management. He is the former President of GO Mortgage, according to LinkedIn. Jampedro was a customer and investor at Bonzo before being named CEO this spring. He described the stress related to home lending during COVID. “It was an all-out sprint for two years,” Jampedro…

Homebuyers Competing With Cash Offers Get A Break

By KIMBERLEY HAAS Guild Mortgage has launched a national program that can help potential homebuyers compete with all-cash offers. Vice President of Product Strategy Erin Watts said in a recent interview with The Mortgage Note that they are doing everything they can to help homebuyers compete in today’s market. “We were getting these really well-qualified homebuyers that needed to get mortgage financing but they just kept missing out due to these cash offers,” Watts said. How does CashPass Work? When homebuyers apply for a loan with Guild Mortgage, they let them know they are interested in CashPass. They then provide the same information that they would need for pre-approval for a conventional loan. A minimum credit score of 680 is…

Heavy Hitters Say A Home Is A Great Investment

By KIMBERLEY HAAS Two heavy hitters who recently joined the Guild Mortgage team in Kansas say although the market may be tough for potential buyers now, a home is still a great investment. “Every time you make your mortgage payment you’re putting money into your 401K,” Senior Loan Officer Paul Camenzind said during a recent interview with The Mortgage Note. Overland Park, Kansas, where Camenzind works, has earned a positive reputation as an affordable and family-friendly community, with accolades including being ranked in the “Top 10 Best Places to Live in the United States” by CNNMoney, named “Best Place to Raise a Family” by WalletHub, and included in the list of “America’s 10 Best Places to Grow Up” by U.S. News and…

Industry Leaders To Cover Travel Expenses For Employee Abortions

By KIMBERLEY HAAS At least four industry leaders will cover the travel expenses for employee abortions after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on Friday. The New York Times named Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, and Zillow in a Tweet on Monday. There were 4,307 Retweets, 705 Quote Tweets, and over 17,300 Likes as of Tuesday morning. The media relations departments at Bank of America and JPMorgan put out press releases about their stress test results on Monday. Bank of America announced plans to increase its quarterly common stock dividend beginning in the third quarter of 2022. “Our responsible growth strategy over the last decade has put us in a strong position to support our clients…

Protesters Rally At BlueHub Capital Headquarters

By KIMBERLEY HAAS Protesters who claim BlueHub Capital has a predatory program that has fleeced distressed homeowners rallied in Boston on Tuesday morning. The Stabilizing Urban Neighborhoods program hit the spotlight in February of 2020, when a group of 14 homeowners filed a class-action lawsuit in Massachusetts Superior Court. WGBH reported at the time that the plaintiffs alleged they were the victims of predatory lending practices while facing foreclosure or hardship. BlueHub Capital leaders responded at the time by saying the SUN initiative had successfully helped more than 1,100 families facing foreclosure and eviction. “SUN has reduced borrowers’ collective outstanding mortgage principal by about $68 million and their monthly mortgage payments by nearly $42 million,” company leaders stated. “Almost all…

Metaverse Not Just A Trendy Word After $5 Million Commercial Real Estate Deal

By KIMBERLEY HAAS and TYRONE TOWNSEND TCG World has announced a strategic partnership with Curzio Research, which has spent $5 million to acquire 19 commercial real estate properties inside the Metaverse. The acquisition is one of the largest real estate purchases for virtual property inside the Metaverse, and Curzio plans on building its headquarters in the Asia region of TCG World, near WallStreetBets. By being part of this region, company leaders expect to have access to traders. VIP members can meet with other investors, attend live events, host conferences, listen to exclusive podcasts, and hold special education courses, according to a video posted online. Curzio is expected to complete its headquarters before September. More celebrities and companies are putting money…

Work From Home Debate Heats Up Again In Mortgage Industry

By KIMBERLEY HAAS The president of a reverse mortgage company is claiming that Elon Musk’s message to Tesla employees unfairly bashes the benefits of remote work and that since going fully remote in 2020 his company has been voted by its employees as a top place to work. Musk is demanding that Tesla office workers return to in-person work or leave the company. “Anyone who wishes to do remote work must be in the office for a minimum (and I mean *minimum*) of 40 hours per week or depart Tesla. This is less than we ask of factory workers,” Musk wrote in leaked emails. Although Tesla is an automotive and clean energy company, news of Musk’s demands sparked a new…

Women Leaders: Meet Three Of Amrock’s Movers And Shakers

By KIMBERLEY HAAS Three female leaders at Amrock are encouraging other women to ignore the noise and believe in themselves as they climb the corporate ladder. Amrock, headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, is a leading national provider of title insurance, property valuations, and settlement services. They are a part of Rocket Companies. Nicole Beattie, Chief Executive Officer of Amrock, has been with Rocket for nearly 18 years and began her career in mortgage banking at Rocket Mortgage – which was Quicken Loans – before transitioning to origination operations leadership. Since then, Beattie has held numerous roles, leading teams in underwriting, closing, and servicing. But that doesn’t mean she hasn’t doubted herself on the way up the ladder. Beattie reported during a recent…

Bidding Wars For Rentals Seen As Prices Rise

By KIMBERLEY HAAS As prices for rental housing continue to climb in many parts of the country, bidding wars are becoming more common. According to a report released last week by Joel Berner and Danielle Hale for Realtor.com, rent has reached another high in the company’s data history, averaging $1,827 in the 50 largest US metropolitan areas. Rental increases are most pronounced in Sun Belt metros, Berner and Hale wrote. That is because as more people have the opportunity to work remotely they are choosing warmer climates to live in. Three Florida metros are particularly affected. They include Miami, where rent was up 51.6% from April 2021; Orlando, 32.9%; and Tampa, 27.8%. Overall median rent in the Miami, Fort Lauderdale,…

Settlement Secured In Sexual Harassment Suit Against Landlord

By KIMBERLEY HAAS An agreement to resolve a lawsuit against a landlord who allegedly touched female tenants and entered their apartments without consent has been reached. Officials at the United States Department of Justice announced on Tuesday that Davenport, Iowa, landlord Juan Goitia will be prohibited from managing rental housing and is required to retain an independent property manager to oversee any rental properties he has now or in the future because he violated the Fair Housing Act. “Sexual harassment by housing providers is an illegal and egregious abuse of power that deprives tenants of their right to be safe and secure in their homes,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Clarke said…