Government agencies, philanthropic organizations and the housing finance community must work together to create funding sources for home repair programs to help sustain affordable homeownership, according to the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University.

Companies should implement consistent trainings for all new hires to help mitigate risk and create standard expectations.

New technologies such as electronic closings, data validation services and income calculators are helping to increase quality assurance standards and mitigate risk, according to panelists at MBA’s compliance and risk management conference.

The Climate and Community Institute released a housing resiliency policy plan to confront the homeowners insurance crisis that has been exacerbated by climate disasters.

Mesa’s funding round included investments from Vera Equity, Redwood Trust Horizons and Clocktower Ventures.

Interest rates tick up, mortgage applications slow near the end of September and refi rate locks spike during the month; Annaly turns to Rocket for subservicing and retention; Fairway touts returning employees; mortgage tech developments; SitusAMC sells loan insurance entity.

Banks and thrifts reported $44.54 billion in retail mortgage production in the second quarter, making it the strongest three-month period for bank retail lending since the third quarter of 2022. (Includes two data tables.)

Soaring home price appreciation in recent years has created plenty of tappable home equity. Firms offering equity-extraction products use various techniques to make homeowners aware of their offerings.

United Wholesale Mortgage has introduced a new AI-based platform to help its brokers recapture borrowers with a refinance.

Outsourcing underwriting tasks to offshore contractors can help reduce production costs for mortgage lenders, according to an executive at Verity Global Solutions.