The reliability of Automated Valuation Models (AVMs) has been thrust into the spotlight in recent weeks, following groundbreaking changes in the way these models are now being tested. The implications for home equity lenders, who rely heavily on AVMs to determine property values, could be far-reaching, especially as the industry grapples with new regulatory questions […]
If you’ve ever been told “you don’t fit the box” even though you can comfortably afford the payment, you’ve felt the limits of traditional mortgages. Non-QM loans exist for exactly that situation. “Non-QM” stands for Non-Qualified Mortgage. It sounds technical, but the idea is simple: fully documented loans for creditworthy people whose finances don’t slot
What are Non-QM loans and who are they for? Read More »
After talking with and interviewing hundreds of mortgage professionals, I can say with certainty: the loan officers who win in this market aren’t the ones with the best/lowest rates.They’re the ones who know their database. The reality is most loan officers treat their database like a phone book. Names and emails stored away, touched only
Winning starts with your database Read More »
When it comes to real estate, the best outcomes rarely happen by chance. The buyers who succeed are usually the ones who prepare early, long before they walk into their first showing. Preparation starts with understanding what a lender is willing to offer, and that can take one of two paths: a simple pre-qualification or
The quiet advantage in real estate: Pre-approval Read More »
Cost optimization is key to creating success in the world of mortgage servicing. Mortgage servicers have dedicated significant resources in pursuit of optimized processes and prices, as every fraction of the cent saved contributes to the bottom line. Servicers are laser-focused on enhancing throughput efficiency, applying advanced technology to automate and streamline every step from
Uncovering the hidden costs of investor reporting in mortgage servicing Read More »
The facts uncovered in fraud investigations are often shocking, revealing stories of both tragedy and comedy. And those stories inform how we help our clients to navigate the landscape of risk, regulation, and management. Stories about occupancy fraud, until very recently, never made the news. Then in the Spring of 2024, a top producing loan
Occupancy fraud: Not as simple as you think Read More »
On Friday, 46 independent mortgage banks (IMBs) jointly sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and FHFA Director Bill Pulte, laying out priorities for IMBs for a successful Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac exit from conservatorship. Spearheaded by the Community Home Lenders of America (CHLA), the only national group that exclusively represents IMBs, this IMB sign-on
Top 5 IMB priorities for GSEs in a post-conservatorship world Read More »
For decades, the mortgage industry trained us to believe our job as loan officers was clear and defined. A family or individual decided to buy a home, they came to us, and we stepped in to help them finance it. The process was straightforward: get them pre-approved, explain the numbers, shepherd the loan through closing
The loan officer’s job is gone, but the Mortgage Advisor’s job is here to stay Read More »
Dave Ramsey says, “You’re gonna get screwed.” But economics disagrees. I think the better question is: What’s the cost of NOT working with your mother-in-law? Whether or not you agree with the saying “time is money”, I believe that whatever you think you might be financially saving by going with a third-party real estate professional,
For years, doom-and-gloom headlines have hyped a looming “housing crash.” But the data, demographics, and long-term trends tell a very different story. The United States isn’t teetering on the edge of collapse — it’s standing at the threshold of what we are calling a 25-year surge: a generational housing boom unlike anything we’ve seen before.
The 25-year housing surge and why the boom is just beginning Read More »