Reverse Mortgage Origination Fees Need Clearer Benchmarks
Recently, a woman contacted me after her daughter encouraged her to get a second opinion before closing on a reverse mortgage. She had already chosen a lender, attended reverse mortgage counseling, completed her application and was ready to move forward. She simply wanted someone to review the numbers. When I opened the Loan Estimate, one […]
Meritage Q2 2026 earnings telegraph move-up buyer pivot
For much of the past decade, Meritage Homes has stood as one of public homebuilding’s clearest business use cases that thoughtfully designed, efficiently built entry-level homes could unlock homeownership for thousands of households who otherwise might have remained renters. The company’s strategy wasn’t simply to build smaller homes. It reshaped its land acquisition, product design, […]
FirstTeam, Purlin on avoiding AI mistakes in real estate
FirstTeam Real Estate, a California powerhouse that reported $6.12 billion in 2025 volume across 5,978 transactions — good enough for national ranks of No. 34 and No. 67, respectively — has partnered with Purlin to deploy an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered operating system across the brokerage. The integration brings together PurlinOS, Purlin Close and Purlin Offer […]
Medicare Part D support cut amid rising retiree costs
As older Americans continue to grapple with escalating housing expenses, a higher overall cost of living and growing health care costs, new Medicare Part D figures for 2027 could further influence household budgets. Adding to that financial picture, the Trump administration announced it will end a temporary Medicare Part D premium stabilization program after the […]
LPT Realty parent company confidential IPO paperwork with SEC
LPT Aperture Holdings, the parent company of LPT Realty and Aperture Global Real Estate, has confidentially submitted a draft registration statement to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for a proposed initial public offering (IPO) of its common stock, the company announced on Thursday. The Lake Mary, Florida-based company said the filing was made on […]
Chris Gallo guilty plea narrows charges in bank fraud case
Christopher Gallo, once one of the nation’s top mortgage loan officers, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud in a federal court in New Jersey, according to court filings reviewed by HousingWire. Gallo entered the guilty plea to count one of the indictment — conspiracy to commit bank fraud — on Wednesday in […]
Optimal Blue integrates VantageScore 4.0 into mortgage workflows
VantageScore 4.0, the credit scoring model that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are transitioning to for agency mortgages, is now integrated into Optimal Blue’s end-to-end capital markets platform, the companies announced Thursday. The integration makes VantageScore 4.0 available across Optimal Blue’s product, pricing and eligibility engine, as well as its mortgage servicing rights (MSR) valuation, […]
Elite International Realty expands crypto real estate services
Elite International Realty has partnered with cryptocurrency escrow provider CryptEscrow to expand its crypto real estate capabilities, responding to growing demand from luxury and international buyers seeking to use digital assets to purchase property. The Miami-based brokerage said the partnership enhances its Crypto by Elite division and provides buyers with a streamlined process for converting […]
Better appoints Orange Capital's Daniel Lewis to board of directors
Daniel Lewis, founder and managing partner of hedge fund Orange Capital, has joined the board of Better Home & Finance Holding Co., replacing outgoing director David Barse, the company announced this week. The changes took effect July 27. Lewis brings more than 30 years of investment and operating experience, including early-career roles at Citigroup before […]
Mortgage affordability improves as median payment slips to $2,191
Homebuyer affordability improved slightly in June as the national median payment on new purchase mortgage applications fell to $2,191, down from $2,198 in May, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)’s Purchase Applications Payment Index (PAPA). The index tracks how new monthly mortgage payments change over time relative to household income using MBA’s Weekly Applications […]