360training.com, Inc. (360), an online regulated training provider, acquired Mortgage Educators and Compliance (MEC), a mortgage lending training company, both companies announced this week.Established in 1997, 360 specializes in comprehensive online training solutions for individuals and businesses

Home-equity lending overall found its wings in 2023 as a number of independent mortgage banks ramped up product lines over the course of the year — despite a bump in the road in the third quarter when mortgage rates surged past 7%.The popularity of home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) and closed-end

Monday was the final date for parties to file post-trial motions in the Sitzer/Burnett commission lawsuit and litigants took it down to the wire to file their motions. The parties had since Oct. 31, 2023, when a Missouri jury found the National Association of Realtors, HomeServices of America, and K

The presiding judge in the ongoing bankruptcy case of Reverse Mortgage Funding (RMF) has approved a stipulation that would resolve an administrative claim made against the company’s estate by reverse mortgage servicing company Celink, authorizing both companies to consummate the agreement.The new ag

Boutique luxury brokerage Tate Property Group has joined Coldwell Banker, the company announced last week. The Austin, Texas-based brokerage was founded in 2008 by Pat Tate, who will be jumping to Coldwell Banker with her son, Drew Tate, and three other agents. The group will relocate to the Coldwel

The battle among big brokerages for top agents continues in Texas, where eXp Realty added two top teams last week.The Mike Seder Group joined eXp after spending more than 25 years with RE/MAX. The team boasts 12 members, including Mike Seder’s wife Ally, and their two sons Patrick and Brett. Togethe

ICE Mortgage Technology — part of Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) – will be offering lenders access to investment advisory advice in its Encompass loan origination system (LOS) through a partnership with Halcyon, a tech firm specializing in advanced data integration.“In the current market where the

Based on the trends we can see after the start of the year, I’ll project 2024 will see about 15% home sales growth over 2023. Home prices will be up this year by a few percentage points, also. These are very clear trends as we start the new year. 2022 started insanely strong and weakened rapidly in

National Association of Realtors President Tracy Kasper has resigned following a threat made against her, the trade group said Monday. “Kasper informed NAR’s Leadership Team that she recently received a threat to disclose a past personal, non-financial matter unless she compromised her position at N

The mortgage market should improve in 2024 due to a combination of competitive pressures easing and mortgage demand picking up from historical lows last year, according to a note from Piper Sandler, a leading investment bank.But don’t expect profitability to be significant compared to long-term hist

A bevy of copycat commission lawsuit plaintiffs are looking to consolidate their nine suits in Missouri under Judge Stephen Bough, who over saw the Sitzer/Burnett commission lawsuit trial in October 2023.In a filing dated Dec. 27, 2023, the plaintiffs in the Gibson and Umpa suits, the oldest and the

Partisan rancor in Congress seems a sure thing in U.S. politics these days, but there is a sign of hope for compromise.Over the weekend, leaders including Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Mike Johnson (R-La.) and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) made separate announceme

Will the number of homes that take a price cut this year drop below 2023 levels? Yes! If the current trends continue into the strong seasonal pricing period, we will see fewer homes that are discounted before selling. I believe this was the most overlooked housing story of the last year because even

Top-10 mortgage lender Guaranteed Rate has filed a lawsuit against retail rival New American Funding over poaching. But this isn’t your standard poaching lawsuit: G-Rate alleges that NAF has wooed at least 30 employees since early 2023 via illegal loan officer compensation practices. Despite the ris

On Jan. 26, HousingWire will host a virtual debate between Michael Ketchmark, the plaintiffs’ attorney in the Sitzer/Burnett commission lawsuit, and Anthony Lamacchia, CEO of Lamacchia Realty and an outspoken advocate for Realtors, to discuss the arguments and the outcome of the trial. The recent la

Slowing job growth doesn’t mean a recession, but today’s jobs report tells me that the significant job gains we were accustomed to in the early part of the COVID-19 recovery period are ending, which ties nicely to how I thought labor would recover after COVID. Even though the headline number on the

San Diego Association of Realtors, which operates one of the country’s largest multiple listing service, has new leadership following the departure of alleged fraudster Mike Mercurio. Real estate industry veteran Saul Klein is taking over as the CEO and director of SDAR’s wholly-owned San Diego MLS,

A date for the final approval conference for RE/MAX’s and Anywhere’s settlement agreements in the Sitzer/Burnett, Moehrl and Nosalek commission lawsuits has finally been set.The conference is slated for Thursday, May 9, 2024, at 10 a.m., according to a text entry on the Sitzer/Burnett court docket o

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) faces a potential loss of roughly $7 billion in receipts in 2024, and a failure by Congress to come to terms on certain spending agreements could force across-the-board cuts to non-defense spending of roughly 5-to-9%.This is according to a letter published th