Mortgages

In a world assailed by extreme weather, homeowners and purchasers need to know their property's vulnerability to wildfire or flooding. Ratings like those Zillow took down are a big improvement on often outdated federal flood maps and state wildfire maps. 

Flood Quotes and the Flood Insurance Portal allows users to compare quotes and purchase policies directly through the platforms.

The average premium increase is 64% or $600 a year more, and in some states the rate would go up by more than $1,000, the comparison shopping platform found.

The average loss from the two categories is almost seven times higher than the mean amount for all other types, according to research from ALTA and Milliman.

While all six companies were profitable in the third quarter, most had earnings which were down from the prior periods, with MGIC setting a milestone.

Of the 15 states most affected by natural disasters, California and Florida had the highest non-renewal rates in 2024, a Weiss Ratings study found.

This is the second acquisition deal Old Republic has been involved in this year, after selling its title production business in January.

Kin, a direct-to-consumer insurance provider, has started a mortgage broker in Florida which also takes loan applications through a call center or online.

The title industry sustained improvement first seen last year, with second-quarter premium totals up on both a quarterly and annual basis, ALTA said.

Consumers are so concerned about rising costs that they often forego coverage altogether, according to two separate studies from Valuepenguin and Realtor.com.

Premiums for property insurance have risen over 69% since 2019, far outpacing other components of the monthly mortgage payment, ICE Mortgage Technology found.

The U.S. Mortgage Insurers put out a blog promising its members would be ready to accept submissions for coverage which were scored using VantageScore.

Between rising home costs and the end of mortgage relief programs, many homeowners are struggling to stay above water, especially in the South and West.

More powerful storms and pricier building costs are behind the increases in premiums, said the report's authors.

Numbers on use and performance point to potential for nonpublic insurers to take on a greater role but also suggest there are limits to it, Fitch Ratings found.

Private mortgage insurers must accept the FICO alternative as valid collateral before it can be widely adopted by the mortgage industry.

Lenders and other businesses active in the state also stepped up with large donations and charitable campaigns in the days following the flooding disaster.

The law, set to go into effect later this year, was introduced to prevent potential money laundering in all-cash purchases made by companies or trusts.

April was a mixed bag for title companies, executives said on earnings calls, but some are expecting a stronger market the rest of the year.

A bipartisan group of representatives co-sponsored the bill, aiming to make permanent and expand eligibility for a deduction previously offered for 14 years.