2024

Seller repurchases of Freddie Mac mortgages rose to $430 million in the second quarter of 2024, a 29.1% increase from the first quarter, according to an analysis of public filings by Inside Mortgage Finance. By contrast, sellers of loans through fellow government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) Fannie Mae repurchased $268.5 million in noncompliant loans during the same period, a 27.7% decline from Q1 2024....

San Diego-based Smartfi Home Loans, which is primarily active as a wholesale lender in the reverse mortgage space and is actively building a retail division that offers reverse mortgage products, has hired industry veteran Martin Lenoir as its new chief marketing officer. Lenoir most recently served as CMO at American Advisors Group (AAG), the industry’s former leading lender prior to its acquisition...

Los Angeles area-based mortgage lender Premier Plus Lending announced last week that it is expanding into the senior-focused home equity market with a new division, Retirement Mortgage Solutions, which will include reverse mortgages and other home equity-based lending instruments. “The new division focuses on the needs of retired and elderly homeowners who wish to benefit from their property’s...

On Monday, a coalition of eight senators — seven Democrats and one Independent — submitted a letter to Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Sandra Thompson, urging her to phase in a series of modernized energy-efficiency standards for mortgages backed by the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The signatories include Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.); Martin...

A former regional operations manager at CrossCountry Mortgage (CCM) is suing the company over allegations of age discrimination and wrongful termination for her refusal to participate in illegal activities.   Penny Smith, 61, filed the lawsuit in early September in a district court in Pennsylvania. She alleges violations of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the state’s Human Relations Act...

In the heart of Silicon Valley, a newly built Menlo Park house recently came to market with a price tag that places it miles ahead of the competition. The $14,200,000 house — located smack dab in central Menlo Park — is currently the most expensive house for sale (by far) in the tech-heavy city, which serves as home to social media giant Meta and is also where Google was born. Fitting for a place...

For these sisters, butter is always on the grocery list. Aubrie Pick No matter how old you get, the recipes you ate and loved while growing up never lose their flavor. If you grew up in a region or culture with a strong culinary history, that’s doubly true—just ask Dolly Parton and Rachel Parton George.Growing up in Tennessee, the two sisters—plus their ten other siblings—were raised with...

Finally, jeans that move with you and not against you. Better Homes & Gardens / Francesca Fasciglione When it comes to high-quality clothing and shapewear, Spanx is one of the first brands that comes to mind as it’s always inventing and releasing new pieces that make you feel (and look) great, including the new SpanxShape EveryWear Micro Flare Jeans and the SpanxShape EveryWear Cropped...

Check out our editor-approved list of autumn snacks, decor, and books for a relaxing evening at home. Now that it's officially fall, we're pulling out our favorite products to enjoy on a chilly, autumn evenings at home. To help you make the most of this relaxing season, our editors are sharing their favorite pumpkin snacks and fall-scented candles to set the mood for a perfect night in.Host a Halloween...

House hunt with confidence by following these expert tips. Kritsada Panichgul As I get ready to start my first home-buying journey, I turned to an expert I’ve been learning from for years: Chip Gaines. On a recent trip to Magnolia, I sat down with Gaines to talk about all things home buying, DIY, and home improvement. When I mentioned I was finally in the market to buy my first home after years...