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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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In its war on ‘junk fees,’ CFPB targets mortgage servicing

Housing Wire

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) on Wednesday released a new edition of its Supervisory Highlights publication, which includes the agency’s actions to combat what it calls “ junk fees charged by mortgage servicers , as well as other illegal practices.”

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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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The Importance of Tax Escrow Payment Processing for Mortgage Servicer Operations

Appraisal Buzz

Mortgage tax escrow payments for local property owners and government processors continue to serve as a crucial source of revenue for local governments. Among these payments, timely settlement of local property taxes holds particular significance.

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Lenders: Looking to simplify closings? Work with an insurance agency

Housing Wire

HousingWire recently spoke to Tom Kriby, vice president of client development and partnerships at Westwood Insurance Agency, about how working with an insurance agency can simplify the closing process for their customers, even in times of interest rate uncertainty. Take insurance, for example.

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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. So she was approved.”

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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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