Industry Briefs, Feb. 24, 2025

Industry news from Dark Matter Technologies, PennyMac, Cornerstone Capital Bank, Optimal Blue, Click n’ Close and Citywide Home Mortgage.

A Third of Homebuyers Using AI Tools, Veterans United Finds

Veterans United Home Loans, Columbia, Mo., conducted a recent survey to shed light on the use of Artificial Intelligence in homebuying. Thirty-two percent of prospective buyers reported using such tools as part of their process.

Quote of the Day

“The rate of all-cash sales remains high because when housing is expensive–like it is now–wealthier Americans who can afford to pay cash are more likely than lower-income Americans to be buying homes.”
–Redfin Senior Economist Sheharyar Bokhari

Zombie Foreclosures Still Quite Low in Q1

ATTOM, Irvine, Calif., released its first-quarter 2025 Vacant Property and Zombie Foreclosure Report, finding that 1.4 million residential homes in the U.S. are vacant.

MISMO Calls for Industry Input on New Version 3.6.1 Reference Model 

MISMO, the real estate finance industry’s standards organization, announced that it is seeking public comment on the new Version 3.6.1 MISMO Reference Model, which includes new data points, containers, and enumerations to support regulatory requirements and other mortgage industry business content. The 60-day public comment period will run through April 20, 2025.