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Many homeowners don’t understand how their escrow account works

Housing Wire

Among homeowners who have a mortgage escrow account, only 52% fully understand how the account works, according to survey results released Thursday by property tax services provider LERETA. In 2023, 60% of the calls were related to escrow accounts, specifically shortages due to rising property taxes or insurance costs.”

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CFPB official talks reverse mortgage safety, counseling resources

Housing Wire

This may lead an older homeowner to consider a product like a reverse mortgage, but potential borrowers should be aware of the product’s details and the informational resources they can access. She said that reverse mortgages can be expensive, which is why the product should be considered in concert with other options.

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Experts weigh in on whether seniors should get new mortgages: Bankrate

Housing Wire

This is according to experts who spoke to personal finance website Bankrate about the concept of taking on a new mortgage in retirement. Age information is collected at the time of origination, but only for Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) purposes. 30-year mortgages were never meant to be for them.

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Michigan attorney general reissues reverse mortgage consumer alert

Housing Wire

The attorney general of Michigan has re-released a consumer alert about the reverse mortgage product category during financial literacy month. A reverse mortgage is a type of home equity loan extended, in most cases, to those who are 62 years of age or older,” the announcement stated.

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Mortgage industry takes another stand against the FHFA’s DTI fee

Housing Wire

It’s been delayed, but that’s not enough for the mortgage industry. “There is a reason the revised general Qualified Mortgage (QM) definition excludes the DTI ratio: Studies demonstrate that as a stand-alone measure, DTI is not a strong indicator of a borrower’s ability to repay.”

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Opinion: Improving housing affordability without exposing homebuyers to more risk

Housing Wire

While mortgage rates will likely fall this year, conversations about how to increase accessibility to homeownership are still top of mind — and should be top of mind — across the real estate industry. Accounting for geography, differences in title and settlement costs across groups of borrowers were not “economically meaningful.”

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Mortgage rates inch closer to 7%

Housing Wire

Mortgage rates rose slightly this week ahead of the Federal Reserve Open Markets Committee ‘s rate hike. Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey, which focuses on conventional and conforming loans with a 20% down payment, shows the 30-year fixed rate averaged 6.81% as of July 27, up from last week ’s 6.78%.

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