Tag: mortgage lending
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“The Lending Environment Shifted Under Their Feet”: War Sidelines Mortgage Seekers
Turmoil in Iran is causing lenders to get stricter with mortgage loan applicants. Now, FICO scores that would normally pass muster are winding up in some lending companies’ rejection piles. The conflict is now widely projected to batter global economies for many months to come. An increasing number of U.S. lenders look at this situation…
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Fannie and Freddie Prepare to Count Crypto in Loan Approval Decisions. How Will the Market Respond?
In June 2025, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) directed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to map out how cryptocurrency could be counted as an asset for home loan applications. Borrowers could keep their crypto accounts. They would not need to convert assets into dollars to receive their loans. In a directive signed on June…
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If the Fed Keeps Up the Rate Cuts, More Seniors Will Open HELOCs in 2026
For a great many seniors, home equity is up. And as interest rates are easing (a little), home equity borrowing is likely to get (a little) cheaper. Tens of millions of seniors could be tempted to take out lines of credit on their homes. They’ll then invest money into bucket-list projects, like major home updates.…
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Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Boss Faces Investigation—After Accusing Others of Loan Fraud
Real estate developer William (Bill) Pulte directs the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). Pulte is also the self-assigned chair of the boards of both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Now, an investigation is underway as to whether Pulte (together with select employees) has misused federal authority and resources.
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When Some Buyers Are More Equal Than Others: Will the U.S. Government “Reboot Redlining”?
Not long ago, New Jersey-based OceanFirst Bank agreed to pay more than $15 million in a settlement with the federal government. This was to resolve the government’s allegations that, for several years, beginning in 2018, the bank violated the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and Fair Housing Act. The problem involved an alleged pattern of ignoring…
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Could Climate Change… Your Credit Score?
Since the 1980s, climate-related disasters have gradually ticked up. And the annual dollar cost of disaster losses and recovery has risen 1,580%. This statistic comes from First Street, a firm known for its analyses of climate risks to real estate. The firm researches the costs of wildfires, storm winds, and water infiltration. In a year…
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What’s a “Scratch and Dent” Mortgage?
Last year, mortgage lending slowed to a crawl. So, the lending industry had some extra time on its hands. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac took advantage of some of that extra time to go over the loans they purchased in the sizzling hot market of 2020-21. During those frenzied months, underwriters were under pressure to…
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Hispanics Will Be the Majority of New Homeowners by 2040. Can the Market Meet Their Needs?
This year’s trend study from CoreLogic® shows a steady rise in mortgage lending in mainly Hispanic neighborhoods. Hispanic buyers tend to be younger and less affluent than other buyers across the board. Many are coming into real estate as first-time buyers. They’re motivated. Many will opt for FHA loans if conventional loans are out of…
