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Tech Pulse: Realtor.com acquires Zenlist; Zillow unveils new tools

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Welcome back to Tech Pulse — HousingWire‘s weekly series rounding up the latest in technology news, including tools, integrations and trends that impact mortgage and real estate. Here’s what happened this week: Realtor.com parent Move acquires Zenlist Realtor.com parent Move Inc. has acquired Zenlist, a real estate tech startup known for its agent-client collaboration tools. The deal boosts Realtor.com’s […]

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Which is better for mortgage — FICO or VantageScore?

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VantageScore and FICO have escalated their rivalry in the mortgage space following the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) decision to allow Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to purchase loans underwritten with VantageScore 4.0 as an alternative to the Classic FICO score.  Both companies published analyses this week from their data scientists. Naturally, each claims their score more […]

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The case for compliance automation

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Mortgage compliance has always required precision. But in today’s environment, it demands something more to ensure a smoother process for serving borrowers: speed. Regulatory scrutiny is rising and evolving rules are making compliance more complex. Regulators now expect lenders to demonstrate, continuously and in real time, that every interaction meets compliance standards. Yet many lenders […]

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Logan Finance promotes Dave Weatherford to TPO production executive role

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Nonqualified mortgage (non-QM) lender Logan Finance Corp. on Thursday announced the promotion of Dave Weatherford to Executive Vice President of TPO Production, effective immediately. The promotion follows Logan Finance’s launch of its new Open Road product series, announced in June. The series, which expands upon Logan’s preexisting non-QM offerings, involves seven specialized Non-QM mortgage solutions designed […]

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PAVE task force 2.0? Senate Democrat introduces appraisal bias legislation

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The Trump administration has “effectively disbanded” the interagency Property Appraisal and Valuation Equity (PAVE) task force, but a Democratic senator wants to revive it. Raphael Warnock of Georgia introduced the Appraisal Modernization Act on Thursday. The legislation seeks to address systemic bias in the appraisal process, effectively writing into law many of the measures the […]

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loanDepot sued over steering scheme, LO comp rule violations

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A class-action lawsuit filed in Maryland accuses mortgage lender loanDepot of violating federal loan officer (LO) compensation rules and steering borrowers into higher-rate loans to boost its financial performance ahead of its 2021 initial public offering (IPO).  The lawsuit describes a “sophisticated, years-long scheme” around the falsification of internal documents and federal disclosures to maximize […]

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Mortgage demand for new homes dropped in June but is still up annually

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The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)’s Builder Application Survey data for June 2025 revealed that mortgage applications for new-home purchases increased 8.5% compared to a year ago. Compared to the previous month, applications decreased by 4%, which does not include any adjustment for typical seasonal patterns. “Applications to purchase new homes fell in June, consistent with […]

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The Rolling Stones, real estate, and reality checks

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In 1969, The Rolling Stones gifted us their 10th studio album, Let It Bleed. Tucked away as the final track, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” started life as a B-side to “Honky Tonk Women” before becoming an anthem for an entire generation. Here’s the kicker: this iconic track never actually hit number one. […]

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Federal regulators scrap 2023 CRA rule

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Three federal banking regulators announced on Wednesday the rescission of the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) final rule issued in October 2023. The decision made by the governing boards of the Federal Reserve System, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) will result in the agencies reinstating […]

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Pennsylvania House approves reverse mortgage counseling bill

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The Pennsylvania House of Representatives on Monday passed legislation to protect homeowners from unknowingly losing their home and generational wealth by requiring in-person financial counseling for anyone considering a reverse mortgage. H.B. 1466, also known as the “Cephas bill” after its sponsor, state Rep. Morgan Cephas (D-Philadelphia), would mandate in-person financial counseling before a borrower […]

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MeridianLink welcomes Denise Cox as chief customer officer

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MeridianLink, a provider of modern software platforms for financial institutions, has appointed Denise Cox as its chief customer officer. Cox brings more than two decades of experience in leading customer-facing, post-sales functions at technology companies, including Olo, Omnicell, Cisco and NetApp. In her role as CCO, Cox will oversee MeridianLink’s services, support and customer success […]

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San Diego Realtors gain access to listings with assumable mortgages

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AssumeList, a platform for discovering homes with assumable mortgages, announced on Wednesday that it has partnered with the San Diego Association of Realtors (SDAR) to provide exclusive benefits to its real estate professionals. As part of the partnership, SDAR members will receive discounted access to AssumeList’s subscription platform along with specialized training, which will help […]

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Purchase and refi applications slow as mortgage rates bounce up

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Mortgage applications decreased 10% from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)’s weekly mortgage applications survey for the week ending July 11. Last week’s results included an adjustment for the July 4 holiday. On an unadjusted basis, the index increased 13% compared with the prior week. The refinance index decreased […]

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FHFA clarifies key VantageScore 4.0 implementation questions

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Mortgage industry professionals had more questions than answers following last week’s bombshell announcement that the government-sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have approved the use of VantageScore 4.0, a new credit scoring model. A week after the initial announcement, Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte answered several key questions. In an FAQ […]

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NAF reports data breach in California

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New American Funding (NAF), a top-25 U.S. mortgage lender, notified the California attorney general last week of a data breach involving one of its vendors, which potentially compromises customers’ personal information.  NAF on June 6 discovered “suspicious activity associated with information provided to one of our vendors that provided notary systems, Mobile Notary Zone,” according to […]

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What will happen to mortgage rates after inflation went up?

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Mortgage rates had been moving downward of late, but the positive momentum reflected in purchase application activity lost steam this week. HousingWire’s Mortgage Rates Center on Tuesday showed that rates rose slightly during the past week, ending a two-week pattern of declines. Rates for 30-year conventional loans averaged 6.86%, up 1 basis point from one […]

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Trump accuses California Sen. Adam Schiff of mortgage fraud

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President Trump on Thursday morning accused Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA), the junior senator of California, of engaging in a pattern of mortgage fraud. Citing conclusive evidence reached by Fannie Mae’s financial crimes division, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Schiff reported his primary residence to be in Maryland rather than in California. Primary residence mortgages […]

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The bank of mom and dad can strain retirement

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The failure-to-launch trend that started with millennials is continuing with Gen Z, and many are turning to parents for assistance, according to a new column by Bloomberg. According to a 2024 Bank of America study, over half of adult Gen Zers reported that they don’t pay for their own housing. A separate study by Savings.com found […]

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After the Bayview deal, what’s the refi strategy for Guild Mortgage?

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Bayview Asset Management’s $1.3 billion deal to acquire Guild Holding Co., the parent of Guild Mortgage, has left loan officers wondering how the traditionally purchase-focused lender would integrate refinance capabilities to leverage the $770 billion servicing portfolio of soon-to-be sister company Lakeview Loan Servicing, the nation’s second-largest mortgage servicer. Guild LOs, who spoke with HousingWire […]

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OCC drops disparate impact enforcement

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The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) announced Monday that it will no longer enforce disparate impact analysis in fair lending risk assessments, following a directive from the White House issued three months ago. “Consistent with EO 14281, the OCC supervisory process for fair lending compliance no longer includes examining for disparate impact […]

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Informative Research adds Halcyon integration to verification platform

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Informative Research, a provider of credit and verification solutions to the mortgage lending community, announced on Monday the availability of Halcyon’s IRS tax transcript service within Informative Research‘s verification platform. The enhancement expands Informative Research’s suite of income verification and employment verification options, enabling lenders to access secure, permissioned tax transcript data directly from the […]

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Tech Pulse: Realtor.com adds property tax appeal; PropStream expands lead generation

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Welcome back to Tech Pulse — HousingWire‘s weekly series rounding up the latest in technology — including tools, integrations and trends that impact mortgage and real estate. Here’s what happened this week: Realtor.com adds property tax appeal tool with Ownwell integration Realtor.com now offers property tax monitoring and appeals through a new partnership with Ownwell. With rising homeownership costs, this […]

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11 mortgage lead generation ideas to build your client base

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Lead generation for mortgage brokers and officers is all about consistently filling your pipeline with individuals who are interested in buying a home now or in the future. Considering the fluctuating state of the housing market and inflated mortgage rates, it’s even more crucial to showcase your expertise and amazing service to bring qualified clients […]

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Westcor joins Fannie Mae title waiver pilot

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Westcor Land Title Insurance Co. is now the second title vendor taking part in Fannie Mae‘s title insurance waiver pilot program. Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte announced the move in a social media post. The waiver pilot, relaunched by Fannie Mae in March 2024, allows approved mortgage lenders to use an automated […]

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House Democrats push back on crypto legislation with ‘anti-corruption’ efforts

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Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) and Congressman Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), announced on Friday that next week will be known as “Anti-Crypto Corruption Week.” During this time, they plan to rally Democrats to push back against Republican efforts to fast-track three pieces of legislation related to cryptocurrency — the “Clarity Act,” the “GENIUS Act” and a bill […]

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Mortgage delinquencies are rising as homeownership costs pile up

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Rising property taxes, insurance payments and growing delinquencies are eroding the promise of long-term stability in homeownership, according to a new blog from Cotality. The post revealed that across the country, more people are starting to fall behind on their mortgages due to the post-purchase costs. These include property taxes and homeowners insurance, both of […]

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Bilt raises $250M to expand into mortgages, with backing from UWM

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Bilt, which operates a loyalty program and credit card that converts rent payments into points, has secured a $250 million funding round led by General Catalyst and GID, with participation from United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM), the nation’s largest mortgage lender. The funding brings Bilt’s valuation to $10.75 billion and will fuel expansion across the broader […]

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Trade groups applaud Jonathan Gould’s confirmation to OCC

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On Thursday, the U.S. Senate confirmed Jonathan Gould as head of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) in a 50-45 vote. The confirmation marks another Trump administration appointee who supports more lenient oversight of the banking sector and a more welcoming stance toward cryptocurrency. Gould previously held roles at the OCC during […]

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Fairway pledges $1M toward Texas flood relief

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Fairway Home Mortgage announced this week that it’s donating $1 million to the ongoing relief efforts following catastrophic flooding in Texas. Fairway has a large presence in Texas, where at least 170 people are known to be missing in the epicenter of Kerr County as a result of the flooding, according to CBS News. Nearly […]

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Panorama Mortgage Group expands TPO presence with Travisa Financial launch

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Panorama Mortgage Group, a multichannel mortgage company headquartered in Las Vegas, announced Thursday the launch of Travisa Financial, a dba that expands the company’s reach within the third-party origination (TPO) space. “Travisa gives us the opportunity to expand our reach to brokers and lenders who share our purpose; helping first-time buyers and underserved communities build […]

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GTCR purchases majority stake in Clear Capital

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Private equity firm GTCR announced on Tuesday that it has made a significant investment in national real estate analytics and data solutions company Clear Capital. As part of the investment, GTCR is partnering with Clear Capital co-founder and CEO Duane Andrews. The transaction represents Clear Capital’s first outside investment, with GTCR becoming the company’s majority […]

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Purchase applications, VA refinances soar in latest MBA data

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Mortgage applications increased 9.4% from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending July 4, 2025. On an unadjusted basis, the index decreased 13% compared with the previous week. Last week’s results included an adjustment for the Independence Day holiday. The seasonally adjusted […]