Real estate brokerage firm Redfin is preparing to offer purchase mortgages to homebuyers who use the firm’s real estate agents. The company announced Redfin Mortgage last week, promising a “digital mortgage,” low interest rates and faster closing times. The new lender will be led by Jason Bateman, a former executive vice president of mortgage operations at BBVA Compass. “When your real estate agent, title professional and lender work together, you win,” he said. “Lenders should spend their time determining which loan is right for a customer, not looking for new customers.” Initially, Redfin Mortgage plans...
With interest rates on mortgages expected to go up this year, some lenders are putting an emphasis on loan originators who can close purchase mortgages. Economists at the Mortgage Bankers Association predict that the average interest rate on a 30-year fixed rate mortgage will climb from 3.70 percent last year to 4.50 percent in 2017. The higher rates will help prompt a 47.7 percent decline in refi volume in 2017 compared with the estimated $901.0 billion in refi originations last year, according to the MBA. Dave Stevens, president and CEO of the MBA, said...
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