Mortgage applications are up, on the strength of FHA refis

Mortgage applications increased 2% for the week ending Dec. 3, driven by a surge in government refinancings according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) survey published on Wednesday. The increase was mainly driven by the refinance index up 9% from the previous week on a seasonally adjusted basis. Concurrently, the purchase index decreased 5%

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HUD ends silence on targeted lending programs

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on Tuesday resolved uncertainty around special purpose credit programs, 45 years after Congress allowed lenders to tailor products to groups that have historically been excluded from homeownership. In a legal memo, HUD stated that SPCPs are allowed under the Fair Housing Act.

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Master Class: How to become an experience architect

In this fun and informative master class exclusively for HW+ members, Experience.com’s Chief Experience Officer, Brittany Hodak, shares a simple framework every marketing and sales leader can use to design intentional customer journeys, elevating every customer interaction into an experience. No matter what part of the housing industry you fall into, this

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All-cash transactions under scrutiny of Biden administration

The Biden administration announced on Monday that it is looking to expand reporting requirements on all-cash real estate transactions. The announcement came via a U.S. Treasury Department notice seeking public comment on this potential regulation. According to the Biden administration, the aim of this regulation would be to crack down

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How did the pandemic change the state of the appraisal market?

The HousingWire award spotlight series highlights the companies that have been recognized through our Editors’ Choice Awards. Nominations for HousingWire’s Tech100 award are now open through next Friday, December 17, 2021. To submit your company, go here. If there’s anything that lenders and borrowers have learned from the current purchase market it’s that

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