HousingWire

• Mortgage rates fell last week. Can they go lower?
  Mortgage rates fell last week after a brutal few months of rising rates. The question now is whether rates can keep going lower.
• Lawmakers, housing groups react to Scott Turner’s HUD confirmation hearing
  Lawmakers and housing trade groups reacted to Scott Turner's confirmation hearing to lead HUD, with many saying they're poised to work with him on housing issues.
• Reverse mortgage servicing safeguard might help LA borrowers
  A 2023 safeguard introduced in reverse mortgage servicing software could help borrowers in Los Angeles avoid foreclosure.
• Mortgage applications for new homes are 9% higher than a year ago
  MBA builder application survey data for December highlighted 9% year-over-year growth in loan applications for new homes.
• Chicago-area contractor sentenced to 17 years in prison over reverse mortgage scam
  The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced this week that Mark Steven Diamond, who was accused of “bilking elderly homeowners in a reverse mortgage and home repair scheme,” was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
• Compass attracts top Connecticut team
  Compass is strengthening its presence in the Nutmeg State. On Friday, the largest brokerage in the country by sales volume announced that The Jennifer Leahy Team will be leaving Douglas Elliman to join the Robert Reffkin-helmed firm.
• Rising mortgage rates zap builder confidence
  The recent rise in mortgage rates, approaching 7.25%, has negatively affected builder sentiment. They need rates in the 6-6.5% range to grow.
• FHA updates loss-mitigation waterfall in new mortgage servicing guidance
  Published on Thursday, the letter extends existing COVID-19 recovery options to February 2026. The FHA said it is aiming to give stakeholders “time to implement the new loss mitigation, claims, and reporting requirements.”
• What previous California wildfires can teach us about rebuilding LA
  When the wildfires in Los Angeles are finally extinguished, the city and its residents will have to sift through the devastation and answer questions about how — and whether — to rebuild.
• WaFd Bank exits home mortgage lending, says model is ‘unsustainable’
  Seattle-based WaFd Bank, which has offered home loans for more than 100 years, announced Thursday in an earnings report that it will exit the single-family mortgage lending business.