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ALTA on new Fannie policy: title insurance “will always be essential”

Housing Wire

Fannie Mae generated some buzz last week when it announced it would be accepting written attorney opinion letters in lieu of a title insurance policy “in limited circumstances.”. Title insurance came to be because attorney title opinions were not adequate for the marketplace.

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Owning a condo in Florida is becoming less attractive: Redfin

Housing Wire

The cost of homeowners insurance has surged in Florida as insurance companies have grappled with significant losses due to an increase in natural disasters. And homeowners insurance costs are three times higher in Florida than the national average.

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Fannie Mae expands use of AOLs in selling guide update

Housing Wire

In an update to its selling guide , Fannie Mae announced Wednesday that it was expanding the use of attorney opinion letters in lieu of title insurance. Fannie Mae first announced that it would accept loans secured with an AOL in lieu of title insurance in limited circumstance in April 2022.

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RenoFi targets homeowners who don’t qualify for HELOCs

Housing Wire

Renovation financing startup RenoFi now offers a fixed-rate home renovation loan, which allows homeowners to borrow as much as 90% of their home’s after-renovation value — a move to target homeowners who don’t qualify for a home equity line of credit (HELOCs).

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The share of owner-occupants buying foreclosures has doubled — here’s why

Housing Wire

The share of distressed property auction buyers who say they are owner-occupants nearly doubled over the last year, boosted by a game-changing government policy that took effect last August. Auction.com implemented the first look auctions for FHA-insured properties in August 2022 and saw an immediate impact: from nothing to 8.2%

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Housing markets with flood and wildfire risk are booming

Housing Wire

Homeowners and renters may not have felt the full impact of climate-related disasters since, oftentimes, they do not end up directly paying for renovations or repairs necessitated by an adverse climate event, Fairweather said. Recently, prominent insurance companies have exited some of these areas.

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Busting VA mortgage loan myths

Housing Wire

Benefits can include: No down payment Competitive interest rates No private mortgage insurance (PMI) Limited or no closing costs Funding fee waived for service-connected disabled veterans More favorable credit criteria Loan types There are a number of VA loan options to meet the needs of today’s veteran buyers, including purchase and refinance.

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