Mortgages

The rapid rise in the cost of both insurance coverage and taxes leaves close to half of homeowners worried about their ability to make payments.

The increase in refinance originations in the fourth quarter trickled down to the title insurers, which reported year-over-year gains in new orders.

The state's insurance commissioner made the change following analysis of title industry profits and expenses in Texas provided by its stakeholders.

As homeowners insurance becomes expensive and hard to find, mortgage loan officers should work closely with insurance agents, said Travis Hodges of Viu by Hub.

With proposed tariffs on homebuilding materials working looming and a cloudy forecast for mortgage rates, young homebuyers are facing increased volatility.

The private mortgage insurers reported just 5% less business versus the third quarter and 33% more new insurance written over the fourth quarter 2023.

The consortium of businesses intends to work with state regulators to protect consumers as interest from secondary market investors also grows.

A proposal to tie cancellation of private mortgage insurance policies to automated valuation models would add unnecessary risk to mortgage portfolios and would result in less, not more, affordable housing.

Members whose districts include Altadena and Pacific Palisades are behind the measure, which calls for an initial 180-day forbearance period.

The nation's largest homeowners insurance providers imposed rate hikes in double-digit percentages last year, led by Farmers' 53.5% increase in Maryland.

Impacted borrowers should anticipate some breaks from insurance coverage and home loan payments, but timelines and relief funds could vary significantly.

Financial profiles of borrowers in the coastal areas where insurance coverage is required vary significantly from at-risk homeowners inland, CFPB's analysis found.

Californians have paid relatively less for coverage than homeowners in the storm-stricken Midwest and Southeast regions, according to Intercontinental Exchange.

A trio of blazes in SoCal have destroyed over 2,000 homes and structures in neighborhoods with average property values well above the national average.

Products belonging to Amynta Group's newly acquired Crum & Forster platform included coverage aimed at protecting mortgage loan portfolios from borrower default.

Only 5% of homeowners in designated disaster-assistance areas were required to hold flood insurance, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency's dashboard.

Premium volume increased by 5.3% year-over-year, while operating income was up, but industry expenses also rose in the third quarter, the American Land Title Association said.

Continued reductions by the Federal Reserve in short-term interest rates should benefit mortgage volume, and thus title insurance activity, Fitch Ratings said.

Sertis, a MGA in the multi-family insurance market, uses a proprietary risk assessment technology.

In the aftermath of the election, a bipartisan group of House members are the latest to ask the FHFA to put the owner's title insurance waiver pilot on hold.