Freddie Mac and InCharge Debt Solutions, a non-profit credit counseling service, are providing a limited number of low- and moderate-income borrowers access to a platform designed to assist them in managing their outstanding loans. EarnUp is an online solution that helps borrowers manage loans, and provides personalized recommendations on how to pay down debts.

“The increasing rate of consumer debt and the low homeownership rate lead us to believe average Americans can use help managing their debts,” said Danny Gardner, vice president of affordable lending and access to credit in Freddie Mac’s Single-Family Business. “Offering free access to EarnUp’s technology is one of the many ways we’re building on our broader community mission, which includes our efforts to stabilize communities, responsibly expand credit and educate borrowers.”

InCharge is part of Freddie Mac’s network of 14 Borrower Help Centers and the national Freddie Mac Borrower Help Network. These housing counseling agencies support Freddie Mac’s commitment to preparing prospective home buyers for long-term sustainable homeownership and helping struggling borrowers, including those with Freddie Mac-owned mortgages, avoid foreclosure.

EarnUp clients can have money pulled their accounts on payday, helping to ensure that consumers stay current on their loans and avoid late fees. Clients can manage all their loans in one place using EarnUp and receive personalized recommendations on how to pay down their debts. EarnUp has received funding from Blumberg Capital, Kapor Capital, Camp One Ventures and others.

“Our experience shows that people are more likely to stay current on their loan payments if we make it quick and easy for them to do so,” said Matthew Cooper, co-founder and CEO of EarnUp. “EarnUp is proud to be working with InCharge Debt Solutions and Freddie Mac to provide technology solutions that can help consumers improve not only their credit scores but also their overall financial health.”

CoreLogic has launched the Alliance Network, offering third-party solutions that complement and integrate with the organization’s real estate technology platforms such as Matrix, Realist and Trestle. The Alliance Network is made up of third-party solutions for multiple-listing organizations and real-estate brokers that enhance the use of CoreLogic real estate platforms. “A wide variety of real estate technology solutions are available today—which is a good thing—but it can be very hard to identify which ones work with your current platforms,” said Kevin Greene, principal of business development for CoreLogic. “We created the Alliance Network to provide clients with a curated selection of third-party solutions that complement and integrate with CoreLogic platforms. Of course, the Alliance Network is a valuable resource for any multiple listing organization or broker looking for property-tech solutions, not just CoreLogic clients.” “Since joining the Alliance Network, we’ve introduced SavvyCard to a much broader audience of MLSs and brokerages across North America,” said David Etheredge, CEO of SavvyCard. “Our development teams worked closely to integrate SavvyCard with Matrix, significantly increasing product usage and effectiveness. And the CoreLogic sales team has done a wonderful job communicating the value of SavvyCard.” “For a long time, multiple-listing organizations have looked to CoreLogic to find solutions that will help make their subscribers more successful,” said Chris Bennett, executive leader of real estate solutions for CoreLogic. “We have selected companies for the Alliance Network that offer solutions which complement the CoreLogic platform offerings. We then add value to those relationships through advanced technology integration and sales guidance. Clients can expect to get more out of the program as the Alliance Network continues to grow.”

After nearly four years of annual declines in inventory, the number of homes for sale has now increased year-over-year for three straight months.

That's a bit of good news for home shoppers who face less competition as homes stay on the market for longer. But inventory levels are still well below where they were five years ago, and small increases have yet to meaningfully reverse those deficits, according to the November Zillow Real Estate Market Report. A year ago, inventory fell 9.1 percent on an annual basis.

Some of the markets that were among the hottest in the country are seeing the biggest increases in available homes, but these are also the places where restricted inventory created more competition for potential buyers.

Meanwhile, the number of homes available to buyers in Kansas City, Las Vegas, and Washington, D.C., fell at a double-digit pace in November, a sign that the inventory recovery has not reached every market.

"After years of intense inventory shortages and cutthroat competition, any gains in inventory should be embraced by home buyers. Unfortunately, the small recent gains are not nearly enough to fully erase the existing deficit, nor are they evenly distributed, there are roughly twice as many homes available for sale in the higher reaches of the market than there are at the lower, more competitive end," said Aaron Terrazas, senior economist at Zillow. "Rather than calling this a true inventory recovery, it's probably more accurate to say that inventory levels are no longer in a free fall and are currently bumping along the bottom. And unfortunately, it's looking increasingly unlikely that we'll see a meaningful upward surge in inventory any time soon.

The typical U.S. home is worth $222,800, up 7.7 percent year-over-year. Las Vegas and Atlanta home values grew the most since last November, with the median home value in each metro increasing by more than 13 percent. But while Atlanta surpassed its bubble peak value in mid-2017, the Las Vegas market is still 12.5 percent below the highest point it reached during the housing bubble.

Rents saw a slight increase in November after three months of flat or even declining costs. The median U.S. rent is $1,449, up 0.5 percent from a year earlier. Annual rent appreciation slowed since early 2018, even seeing slight declines in the fall.

Orlando and Riverside, Calif., saw the biggest increases in rents, up 4.4 percent and 3.9 percent, respectively. Rents in Portland, Oregon, Seattle and New York declined the most. Portland rents have now declined for five consecutive months, after growing 4.6 percent annually a year ago.

The Mortgage Bankers Association’s Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 5.8 percent--on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week ending Dec. 14, 2018, compared with one week earlier.

“Despite mortgage rates falling across the board last week to their lowest levels in three months, mortgage applications also declined, as more potential borrowers likely stayed away because of ongoing financial market volatility and economic uncertainty,” Joel Kan, MBA’s associate vice president of economic and industry forecasting for the MBA.

On an unadjusted basis, the index decreased 7 percent compared with the previous week. The Refinance Index decreased 2 percent from the previous week. The seasonally adjusted Purchase Index decreased 7 percent from one week earlier. The unadjusted Purchase Index decreased 10 percent compared with the previous week and was 2 percent higher than the same week one year ago.

“Purchase applications decreased almost seven percent over the week and refinances decreased around two percent, led by a larger decline in government refinances compared to conventional refinances,” said Kan. “With rates continuing to slide lower, refinance borrowers with larger loan balances seemed more apt to take action. The average loan balance for refinance loans increased to its highest level since September 2017.”

The refinance share of mortgage activity increased to 43.5 percent of total applications, its highest level since February 2018, from 41.5 percent the previous week. The adjustable-rate mortgage share of activity increased to 7.9 percent of total applications.

The Federal Housing Administration share of total applications decreased to 10.4 percent from 10.8 percent the week prior. The Department of Veteran Affairs share of total applications decreased to 9.9 percent from 10.2 percent the week prior. The Department of Agriculture share of total applications decreased to 0.6 percent compared with 0.7 percent a week earlier.

The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances of $453,100 or less decreased to its lowest level since September 2018, 4.94 percent, from 4.96 percent, with points decreasing to 0.43 from 0.48, including the origination fee, for 80 percent loan-to-value ratio loans. The effective rate decreased from last week.

The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with jumbo loan balances, greater than $453,100, decreased to its lowest level since September 2018, 4.74 percent from 4.80 percent, with points decreasing to 0.26 from 0.33, including the origination fee, for 80 percent loan-to-value loans. The effective rate decreased from last week.

The average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages backed by the FHA decreased to its lowest level since September 2018, 4.95 percent, from 4.97 percent, with points decreasing to 0.51 from 0.55, including the origination fee, for 80 percent loan-to-value loans. The effective rate decreased from last week.

The average contract interest rate for 15-year fixed-rate mortgages decreased to its lowest level since September 2018, 4.37 percent, from 4.41 percent, with points decreasing to 0.37 from 0.44, including the origination fee, for 80 percent loan-to-value loans. The effective rate decreased from last week.

The average contract interest rate for 5/1 ARMs decreased to its lowest level since September 2018, 4.17 percent, from 4.24 percent, with points increasing to 0.42 from 0.34, including the origination fee, for 80 percent loan-to-value loans. The effective rate decreased from last week.