Industry News

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) asked the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois – Eastern Division to vacate the settlement in CFPB v. Townstone Financial, Inc., et al., which resolved allegations of redlining and violations of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) against the Chicago mortgage broker owned by Barry Sturner.

While affordability continues to be a challenge, many loan officers believe prospective homebuyers are more willing to take some chances in the housing market, according to a new report from HomeLight. Close to three-fourths of loan officers surveyed by HomeLight say they’ve seen a rise in buyers’ willingness to take chances with options such as fixer-uppers, unconventional financing, or accepting higher mortgage rates. Read on to learn more.

Cornerstone Capital Bank launched two joint venture (JV) companies with homebuilders in Texas and North Carolina. With the addition of the two, Cornerstone has now formed and managed JV mortgage companies for 15 homebuilders nationwide. Read on to learn more information.

Two of the country’s top real estate agents said title companies should focus on effective human interaction during a complimentary webinar in The Title Report’s “Evolving Realtor Relationships” series. Read on to learn more.

Shore Bancshares Inc. announced that its title subsidiary will cease conducting real estate closings by March 31. According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the title company will continue to operate as necessary to complete any work in progress. Read on to learn more information.

AM Best has assigned excellent financial strength and long-term issuer credit rating to Premier Land Title Insurance Co. of Coppell, Texas. Premier’s parent company is builder PulteGroup Inc. The outlook assigned to these credit ratings is stable. Read on to learn more.

Radian Group Inc. announced that Radian Guaranty has issued a line of credit of up to $1 million to the Philadelphia Accelerator Fund, a non-profit loan fund supporting the production and preservation of affordable housing and community development projects to benefit low-income communities. Read on to find out more.

Increased construction activity is playing a role in lowering housing costs in some parts of the country as the spring homebuying season begins, according to Sam Williamson, senior economist at First American. As the construction of new homes increases relative to the size of the housing market, there is more downward pressure on home prices, according to Williamson. Read on to find out more.

In advance of the 2025 Voice of The Title Agent in-depth report being launched next week, several survey participants were chosen as prize winners. Read on to find out who won an NS3 registration, a subscription to The Title Report, a wireless speaker with a built-in wireless charger, and a copy of Dr. Mark Calabria’s book, Shelter from the Storm: How a COVID Mortgage Meltdown Was Averted.

Real estate brokerage leaders are overwhelmingly optimistic about their economic, housing, and business outlooks for 2025, according to the latest Delta Real Estate Leadership Survey. The annual study surveyed over 100 brokerage executives whose firms collectively generated more than half of all residential real estate transactions last year. Read on to find out more.