Apply Online
Schedule a Call

Author name: Ricky Vasquez

MBA’s Bob Broeksmit: ‘The CFPB is listening’ to industry concerns

Bob Broeksmit, CFPB, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Government Lending, GSE Reform, GSEs, HWmember, LendingLife, Mortgage Bankers Association, Origination, Regulatory /

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) highlighted the deregulatory efforts of the Trump administration at its Secondary and Capital Markets Conference in New York this week, including work at the CFPB. But on the topic of releasing the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) from conservatorship, MBA president and CEO Bob Broeksmit said he isn’t expecting action anytime soon. […]

MBA’s Bob Broeksmit: ‘The CFPB is listening’ to industry concerns Read More »

Bill Pulte is putting ‘obese’ Fannie and Freddie ‘on the treadmill’

Bill Pulte, Conservatorship, FHFA, HWmember, Mortgage, Politics /

It won’t be Federal Housing Finance Administration (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte or Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent making the decision about removing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from conservatorship. That’s entirely up to President Trump, Pulte told Mortgage Bankers Association Chair Laura Escobar in a freewheeling conversation at the MBA Secondary Mortgage Marketing conference in New

Bill Pulte is putting ‘obese’ Fannie and Freddie ‘on the treadmill’ Read More »

How a Christie’s Agent Closed Million+ in 2024 on Instagram

How a Christie’s Agent Closed $44 Million+ in 2024 on Instagram

Real Estate, Real Estate Agent Essentials, Vetted by HousingWire /

Over the last decade, I’ve interviewed dozens of the country’s most successful real estate agents. All of them, from Ryan Serhant to Glennda Baker to Ricky Carruth, had one thing in common: They found their ikigai early in their career and never looked back. Ikigai is a Japanese concept that says you will only find

How a Christie’s Agent Closed $44 Million+ in 2024 on Instagram Read More »

What Buyers Need To Know About Homeowners Association Fees

What Buyers Need To Know About Homeowners Association Fees

Buying Tips, First-Time Buyers, For Buyers /

When buying a home, you’re probably thinking about mortgage rates, home prices, your down payment, and maybe even your closing costs. But you may not be thinking about homeowners association (HOA) fees. While you won’t necessarily have these, you should know it’s a possibility, depending on where you decide to live. A homeowners association is

What Buyers Need To Know About Homeowners Association Fees Read More »

America’s top reverse mortgage professional practices what he preaches

Contributors, HWmember, Mortgage, Reverse /

When George Vrban recently took out a reverse mortgage himself, some eyebrows were raised. But his decision wasn’t born out of financial desperation — it was part of an overall strategic retirement plan. George Vrban, a name synonymous with expertise and trust in the reverse mortgage industry, reached a personal and professional milestone by obtaining

America’s top reverse mortgage professional practices what he preaches Read More »

Brokerages are sleeping on AI: Here’s the playbook to wake them up

Agent, Artificial Intelligence, Contributors, HWmember, Opinion, Real Estate, Technology /

Let’s call it what it is: most brokerages are way behind on AI. Agents? They’re scrappy. They’re downloading ChatGPT apps, playing with Canva AI, and asking Midjourney to crank out listing flyers in 30 seconds flat. They’re moving fast because they have to. Meanwhile, broker-owners are still asking, “So… how exactly would we even use

Brokerages are sleeping on AI: Here’s the playbook to wake them up Read More »

Debt is derailing homeownership for a generation — here’s how we can fix it

Contributors, Debt, HWmember, Opinion /

The path to homeownership in America has never been easy. But for many millennials — the largest generation in the U.S. workforce — it’s not just a challenge. It’s an increasingly distant goal, and the biggest obstacle standing in the way isn’t always high home prices. It’s often debt. We’ve seen a sharp rise in

Debt is derailing homeownership for a generation — here’s how we can fix it Read More »

House passes bill to give VA borrowers a partial mortgage claim option

Department of Veterans Affairs, House of Representatives, HWmember, Legislation, Mortgage, Mortgage Servicing, PennyMac, Politics, Servicing, VA Loan, Veterans /

Following about 20 minutes of debate on the floor of the House of Representatives on Monday, H.R. 1815 — known as the V.A. Home Loan Program Reform Act — was passed by voice vote and will now be given to the Senate for additional debate. The passage by the House keeps the bill moving through

House passes bill to give VA borrowers a partial mortgage claim option Read More »

Homebuilder sales incentives are in full bloom this spring

Commission Lawsuit, Homebuilder Confidence, Homebuilders, HWmember, Lennar, NAR Lawsuit Settlement, National Association of Home Builders, National Association of Realtors, Real Estate /

The spring homebuying season is in full swing. But what is typically the busiest time of year for homebuilders has not lived up to the hype in 2025.  As builders struggle to close sales, resulting in declines in builder confidence and in company revenues, many have started to pile on buyer sales incentives.  According to

Homebuilder sales incentives are in full bloom this spring Read More »

Rate’s Jesse Allen on the progress of a reverse mortgage revamp

HECM, HWmember, Loan Officer, Marketing, Rate, Reverse /

In November, Chicago-based mortgage lender Rate — formerly known as Guaranteed Rate — announced that it was “revamping” its dedicated reverse mortgage division by appointing two longtime industry veterans to lead its efforts with older borrowers. Industry veteran Jesse Allen, formerly of OneTrust Home Loans and American Advisors Group (AAG) is now leading the division

Rate’s Jesse Allen on the progress of a reverse mortgage revamp Read More »