New objection to NAR settlement targets business practice changes, plaintiffs’ attorneys fees

After previously taking issue with some of the forms generated as a result of the terms of the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) nationwide commission lawsuit settlement agreement, University of Buffalo law professor Tanya Monestier is now objecting to NAR’s settlement. In a document filed on

The unexpected strength of home prices this year

We track inventory and home sales very closely, so the biggest surprise this year has been the resiliency of home prices. Given the unrelenting mortgage costs, generally weak homebuyer demand, and the year’s rising supply of unsold homes, I’ve been expecting home prices to recede a bit in the second

FHFA expands fee-based alternative to repurchase loans to all approved lenders

On Monday, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) announced that all approved lenders will have access to a fee-based alternative to repurchase Freddie Mac’s performing loans with defects, expanding a pilot program launched earlier this year. In addition, the FHFA announced that government-sponso

FHLBank of New York expands credit access for underserved borrowers

In a significant move designed to expand homeownership access, the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York (FHLBNY) announced the adoption of an alternative credit scoring model to boost mortgage credit availability. The wholesale bank will now allow members to pledge mortgage collateral using the Vantag