First Home Mortgage is launching a rate discount program for first-time homebuyers, the company announced in a press release. The program, First Home Advantage, gives eligible first-time homeowners access to lower interest rates. “We are excited to provide such a timely program,” said First Home Mortgage founder and CEO David Waters. “The First Home Advantage program levels the playing field for those who may have been overlooked in the past due to credit score issues.” Eligibility is based on annual income and geography, with different income limits in different areas. Borrowers in high-cost regions could be eligible with incomes as high as $168,600 a year. First Home says it created the program because more than 40% of loans it originated…
Lyra Waggoner has joined Movement Mortgage as its chief information officer, the company announced in a press release. “Movement Mortgage has an incredible vision and focus. I’m excited to translate this vision into transformational action across our technology platform by putting the best tools in the hands of our loan officers,” Waggoner said. “Movement and I share the belief that technology, culture and product focus should drive empowerment of our sales team. I am so grateful to join this talented group!” Waggoner brings nearly two decades of mortgage industry experience to Movement. Prior to her new position, she was EVP and head of technology for Level Capital. There, she was instrumental in creating and releasing a loan origination and servicing…
New listings fell 12% during the four-week period ending August 7, the largest YOY decline since June 2020, according to recent Redfin data. Higher mortgage rates are keeping some Americans in their homes longer than they normally would be. Some homeowners are experiencing what Redfin calls “rate lock-in,” a fear of putting their home up for sale due to a low rate they nabbed during the pandemic. Others are realizing they won’t get an offer over listing price on-demand like they could last year. “Buyers are backing off due to rising housing costs and sellers are holding back because they realize they won’t get the bidding war they would have gotten six months ago,” said Redfin Deputy Chief Economist Taylor…
Active listings posted a record-high growth rate in July, an indication that balance is returning to the housing market, Realtor.com reported. July’s Monthly Housing Trends Report found that the national inventory of active listings rose by 30.7% YOY, while the total inventory of unsold homes, including pending listings, increased for the first time since September 2019. This means there were 176,000 more homes actively for sale on a typical day in July than at the same time last year. However, the bump in total unsold inventory amounted to only a modest 3.5% due to a dip in pending inventory. And listings are still far behind their pre-pandemic and even early pandemic levels. Active listings were 15.7% below 2020 and 45.4%…
Nearly half of mortgaged homes in the U.S. were equity-rich in Q2, with the most equity gains concentrated in the South, according to ATTOM’s Q2 2022 U.S. Home Equity & Underwater Report. The report found that 48.1% of mortgaged residential properties had an estimated worth that topped their loan balances by 50% or more. That’s up from 44.9% in Q1 2022 and 34.4% YOY. At least half of all mortgagees in 18 states were equity-rich, up from just 3 states at the same time last year. It’s the ninth consecutive quarter in which the number of equity-rich homes increased. ATTOM also found that only 2.9% of mortgaged homes were considered seriously underwater in Q2, down from 3.2% in Q1 and…
Real estate brokerage Radius has launched an in-house mortgage firm in California, the company announced in a press release. Radius Mortgage is intended to provide real estate professionals and California homebuyers with a simple, transparent solution for mortgage lending. The software allows agents to track and update documents and information on their client dashboards. It also features a dedicated team for supporting agents. “We’re building Radius Mortgage from the ground up to be a premier lender in California,” said Sam Kasle, Radius’ Chief Revenue Officer. “For far too long, the lending process has been frustrating and burdensome for agents and their clients alike. By keeping cost structures low and bringing transparency to the entire lending process, we hope to help…
Mortgage rates drifted up again last week after plummeting the week prior, rising from an average 5.30% to 5.51%, Freddie Mac reported Thursday. Freddie’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) found that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) averaged 5.51%. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 2.88%. “Mortgage rates are volatile as economic growth slows due to fiscal and monetary drags,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s Chief Economist. “With rates the highest in over a decade, home prices at escalated levels, and inflation continuing to impact consumers, affordability remains the main obstacle to homeownership for many Americans.” Affordability is at record lows across the country. The average monthly mortgage payment is up 6.2% month-over-month and 51% year-over-year. Low…
Churchill Mortgage has named Kelly Lee as Senior Vice President of Production in the Northwest region, the company announced in a press release. The appointment comes as part of Churchhill Mortgage’s expansion in the Pacific Northwest. Lee will oversee the entire division, which has 30 branches, including all production. “In addition to being a natural servant leader with a proven track record of developing profitable branches in the Pacific Northwest, Kelly has been a longtime mentor to me since I first started out in this business,” said Kevin J. Hanna, President of the Churchill Mortgage Pacific Northwest Region. “He’s an undeniable asset to the team with his attention to detail, knack for collaborative problem solving, and dedication to a people-centric…
Better.com is losing another C-suite executive in the wake of its controversial layoffs. Chief Technology Officer Diane Yu is stepping back into an advisory role, TechCrunch reported after obtaining an internal memo circulated at the company. The memo states that the move gives Yu “more flexibility to spend more time with her family and additional time in Hong Kong.” It is signed by Better’s infamous CEO Vishal Garg. Better.com has seen rapid turnover of execs after firing 900 employees on a Zoom call last December. Garg told the employees that they were “part of the unlucky group that is being laid off,” and that their employment was “terminated effective immediately.” The employees were then locked out of their work computers.…
Divvy Homes and zavvie have teamed up to bring Divvy’s rent-to-own program to zavvie’s expanded brokerage marketplace, the companies announced in a statement. Divvy Homes, a property-technology startup valued at $2 billion, provides a rent-to-own buying option to real estate brokers and agents. Through the program, buyers pay rent on a home to Divvy, part of which is put aside to save for a downpayment. When buyers have saved enough for a 10% downpayment, they can then buy the home from Divvy. The program is currently available in 16 major metros. “The path to homeownership is more challenging today than ever before,” said Divvy Homes Co-Founder and CEO Adena Hefets. “Divvy is leveling the playing field by accelerating one’s ability…
