Rocket’s CFO and General Counsel are both retiring, resulting in changes to its executive leadership, the company announced in a press release. Julie Booth, CFO and Treasurer, will be retiring effective November 15. She has been with Rocket Mortgage for nearly 20 years and has served as CFO since 2005. She will be replaced by Brian Brown, currently Chief Accounting Officer. Prior to Rocket, he consulted with financial services companies at EY. “During her time as CFO, Julie has been a tremendous leader in our organization, helping guide our company through significant growth and expansion, culminating with our IPO in 2020,” said Jay Farner, Rocket Companies Vice Chairman and CEO. “Even more impressive is the tremendous team Julie has built…
Mortgage rates skyrocketed again this week, nearing 7% as the affordability crisis escalates, Freddie Mac reported Thursday. Freddie’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey found that the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.70%, up from 6.29% just last week. A year ago at this time, the 30-year FRM averaged 3.01%. “The uncertainty and volatility in financial markets is heavily impacting mortgage rates. Our survey indicates that the range of weekly rate quotes for the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has more than doubled over the last year. This means that for the typical mortgage amount, a borrower who locked in at the higher end of the range would pay several hundred dollars more than a borrower who locked in at the lower end of the…
Priscilla Almodovar has been named Fannie Mae’s CEO and member of the Board of Directors, the GSE announced in a press release. Almodovar will succeed former interim CEO David C. Benson, who will remain in the role of President. “It’s an honor to join Fannie Mae and lead the company as it carries out its vital role in the housing finance market and works to help ensure that equitable, affordable housing is available to people in communities across the country,” Almodovar said. “I look forward to working with the Board, Management, and my new colleagues at Fannie Mae to continue this important work, which has benefited so many people over the company’s more than 80-year history.” She offers three decades…
Pending home sales fell for a third consecutive month in August, with three of the four regions seeing month-over-month declines, according to the National Association of Realtors. The Pending Home Sales Index dropped by 2% between July and August. Year-over-year it tanked by 24.2%. All four regions saw pending sales drop year-over-year. The West, however, experienced a small uptick month-over-month, up by 1.4%. The Northeast PHSI fell by 3.4% from July, while the South fell 0.9% and the Midwest dipped by 5.2%. “The direction of mortgage rates – upward or downward – is the prime mover for home buying, and decade-high rates have deeply cut into contract signings,” said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. “If mortgage rates moderate and the…
Most housing markets still favor sellers despite increasing buyer-friendliness, especially in more affordable markets in the South and Midwest. Knock’s Buyer-Seller Market Index found that 71 of America’s 100 largest housing markets still remain seller’s markets. “Although the general consensus is the housing market is undergoing a much-needed reset, which is welcome news to many home shoppers who will have more choices and less competition for the foreseeable future, not all markets are seeing the same trends,” said Knock Co-Founder and CEO Sean Black. “In reality, there’s a great housing divide taking place in the U.S., especially in the East and South, where despite a slowdown in sales and slower home price growth, many markets continue to favor sellers.” Fayetteville,…
The Chief Operating Officer at SingleSource Property Solutions said in a recent interview with The Mortgage Note that their mission is to protect neighborhoods. Ed Austin has been working in the mortgage industry for 25 years on the vendor management side. He has been COO of SingleSource in Pennsylvania for seven years. In August, the company celebrated its 20-year anniversary of the launch of home equity service offerings. The company’s second mortgage services are available in economical bundles and include valuations, title products, and online closings, according to a press release. Austin said in a statement that with their specialized home equity bundles, lenders are significantly reducing the amount of time and expenses associated with closing a second lien transaction.…
Mortgage loan application volume returned to its downward trajectory, wiping out gains from last week as mortgage rates breached 6.5% for the first time since mid-2008, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s weekly survey. The adjusted Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, dropped by 3.7%, effectively negating a 3.8% rise last week. The adjusted purchase index fell 0.4%, while the unadjusted purchase index decreased 1% and was 29% lower YOY. The refinance index dropped by 11% and was 84% lower than the same time last year. Refis made up 30.2% of total applications. “Applications for both purchase and refinances declined last week as mortgage rates continued to increase to multi-year highs following more aggressive policy measures…
New home sales rose in August to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 685,000, up 28.8% from July’s revised rate but down 0.1% YOY, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The seasonally‐adjusted estimate of new houses for sale at the end of August was 461,000, representing a supply of 8.1 months at the current sales rate. The median sales price of a new home was $436,800, while the average sales price was $521,800. The data comes on the heels of a surprise increase in mortgage applications last week, despite rates rising to their highest point since October 2008. “As with the swings in rates and other uncertainties around the housing…
Home price appreciation cooled in July though growth remained elevated from a year earlier, according to new data. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller National Home Price NSA Index saw home prices decelerate, posting a 15.8% annual gain in July, down from 18.1% in the previous month. This is the largest monthly deceleration in the history of the index. “Although U.S. housing prices remain substantially above their year-ago levels, July’s report reflects a forceful deceleration,” said Craig J. Lazzara, Managing Director at S&P DJI. The 10-City Composite reported a 14.9% increase YOY, down from 17.4% in June, while the 20-City Composite rose by 16.1% YOY, down from 18.7%. July’s gains were less than June’s for each of the 20 cities analyzed. Tampa…
By CHUCK GREEN There are those who downright groove to the tune of a lifestyle embedded squarely in the middle of the action. You know, the big city, the vibe of being at the nexus of it all. Downright intoxicating. Conversely, others are swayed by the tranquility of a smaller city or town, finding it as relaxing as, oh, say, a running tab on hot totties. Oh, yeah. Pure nirvana. Now, for those who prefer to be where life can be chill but also gyrate to the beat of maintaining relatively close proximity to where it can be a regular buzzsaw of activity as well, the concept of adjacent cities just might speak their language. Adjacent towns or cities share…
