Hot Topics
The growing threat of phishing attacks on the mortgage industry
Loan officers and mortgage executives alike continue to click on links in seemingly routine emails, ultimately giving bad actors complete access to lenders’ systems and mortgage transactions. Such mistakes can cost companies millions of dollars and expose sensitive data from millions of customers.
Lumber falls to fresh 2022 lows
Lumber falls to fresh 2022 lows as spike in mortgage rates cools housing demand and inflation puts dent in home renovations
First-time homebuyers, inventory expected to rebound in 2024
The housing market is expected to return to pre-pandemic norms in terms of inventory and the share of purchases made by first-time homebuyers by 2024, according to a panel of housing market experts polled for the Zillow Home Price Expectations Survey.
Home prices gains hit a record high
Home prices climbed 16 percent year-over-year in February to an all-time high of $389,500 as the number of homes for sale fell to a new low, according to a Redfin report. The lack of inventory is holding back home sales, which were down 4 percent month-over-month, according to Redfin.
Cyber Losses Hit $6.9B in 2021
America experienced an unprecedented increase in cyberattacks and malicious cyber activity as U.S. consumers lost $6.9 billion to internet crime in 2021, according to the latest report from the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).
WEST issued an alert for industry members
WEST issued an alert for industry members to be on the lookout for watering hole attacks after an escrow assistant became the victim of one.