CHLA voices support for attorney opinion letters to FHFA

CHLA voices support for attorney opinion letters to FHFA

The Community Home Lenders of America (CHLA) submitted a letter to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) expressing its support for the use of attorney opinion letters (AOLs) on Wednesday. In the letter... Read more »
Opinion: 5 policy changes that can improve housing affordability

Opinion: 5 policy changes that can improve housing affordability

The median price of a home in America is rapidly becoming out of reach for most first-time homebuyers. This is especially true for minority families who on average have less wealth than... Read more »
Opinion: More should be done to shorten the average time to close

Opinion: More should be done to shorten the average time to close

Seemingly forever, the average time between reaching a sales agreement and closing on that property has hovered around 45 days — a month and a half.  It’s not something consumers think about... Read more »
Opinion: Brokerage economics and the .8B damages in the commission lawsuit

Opinion: Brokerage economics and the $1.8B damages in the commission lawsuit

While reading about the $1.8 billion dollar damages claim assessed against the National Association of Realtors, Keller Williams and HomeServices, I wondered what impact this could have economically on the industry. I... Read more »
Opinion: Sitzer/Burnett decision presents an uncertain future for buyer agents

Opinion: Sitzer/Burnett decision presents an uncertain future for buyer agents

Real estate agents are facing a contracting issue that could seriously upend the traditional housing landscape. The Sitzer/Burnett trial out of Kansas City found the National Association of Realtors (NAR) guilty of... Read more »
Opinion: NAR has finally met its match

Opinion: NAR has finally met its match

For decades, disruptors and innovators in the residential real estate industry have been trying to chip away at the near monopoly that Realtors have had over home sales. The monumental verdict in... Read more »
Opinion: IMB servicers do a better job than banks on loss mitigation

Opinion: IMB servicers do a better job than banks on loss mitigation

Fifteen years ago, the TARP bailout bill was signed into law. $700 billion in taxpayer funds were authorized to help stabilize the economy in free fall in the wake of the Lehman bankruptcy... Read more »
Opinion: Bank capital requirements would put squeeze on mortgage market

Opinion: Bank capital requirements would put squeeze on mortgage market

In September, the nation’s banking regulators released a proposal to increase the capital required of banks with more than $100 billion in assets. The effort was intended to decrease systemic risk, but... Read more »
Opinion: Local MLS broker marketplaces, rules equitably advance American homeownership

Opinion: Local MLS broker marketplaces, rules equitably advance American homeownership

As the trial of Burnett v. the National Association of Realtors (NAR), et al kicked off this week in a Kansas City, Missouri, federal courtroom, there is a lot at stake for consumers and... Read more »
Opinion: How to avert an impending homeowners insurance crisis

Opinion: How to avert an impending homeowners insurance crisis

A brewing crisis is emerging around homeowners insurance and thus far the finance and insurance community has not offered any viable solutions. The annual number of weather/climate-related disasters exceeding $1 billion per event has... Read more »