Rocket Pro TPO EVP Talks About Current Successes, Challenges

The executive vice president of Rocket Pro TPO says a lack of housing inventory has been hurting mortgage professionals, but he is confident broker partners and loan officers have the tools to help homebuyers achieve their goals. Mike Fawaz recently sat down with Editor Kimberley Haas to talk about this year’s successes and challenges. Haas: Mike, so it’s great to have you here today as always. What have been some of the successes in this past year working with the Rocket Pro TPO team? Fawaz: First of all, thanks for having me and I’m excited to have this conversation with you. When I think about the successes of Rocket Pro TPO this year with the broker channel, it’s been a…

Sun Belt Success And Stress: One-On-One With Troy Williamson

By KIMBERLEY HAAS Craving some sunshine? You are not alone as the migration to the Sun Belt continues past the pandemic. Data from U-Haul and North American Van Lines shows that the Carolinas, Florida, and Texas were among the top inbound states for migration last year. That trend is expected to continue. And as the state of North Carolina sees an influx of new residents, the coastal city of Wilmington has been attracting accolades. It was listed as the second best place to live in North Carolina by Forbes Advisor last fall, coming in after Raleigh, the state’s capital. In January, the median listing home price in Wilmington was $435,700, trending up 18.1% year-over-year. The median home sold price was…

Appraisal Costs Don’t Matter To Borrowers When Choosing A Lender, Survey Finds

Borrowers once again affirmed that quality of experience matters more to them in the lending process than cost. In a new survey from Reggora, an appraisal management software company, most borrowers said they care most about speed and quality in an appraisal. These were followed by communication and professionalism. The cost of the appraisal was ranked as the least important factor. Of the 1,008 respondents, 815 said they didn’t care about the appraisal cost at all when choosing a lender. They focused primarily on interest rates, followed by the borrower’s perception of the loan officer. Having a relationship with the lender or hearing about positive experiences from others were significantly more important than factors like closing costs, special loan considerations,…