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In Chicago, a reverse mortgage scammer left a lasting scar

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Mark Diamond has been sentenced to 17 years in federal prison for his crimes against elderly homeowners, but the scars from the damage he inflicted across the Chicago metro area are still visible. A recent report from a local publication, the South Side Weekly, detailed one family’s struggle to recover from Diamond’s scams. Louise Minter […]

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HUD signs agreement with South Korean housing finance agency to spur MBS investment

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The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Ginnie Mae on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with a South Korean housing finance authority, with the goal of increasing investment in U.S. agency mortgage-backed securities. The agreement, signed with the Korea Housing Finance Corp. (KHFC), “underscores a shared commitment to expanding access […]

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How midsize lenders are surviving the mortgage squeeze

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Mortgage veteran Glenn Stearns is taking a different approach with his latest venture.  Kind Lending, a national wholesale mortgage lender and his second brainchild, is built on lean operations and a focus on efficiency — a contrast with his first company, Stearns Lending, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2019.  “This is not our […]

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Senate unanimously passes trigger leads bill

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The U.S. Senate on Thursday unanimously passed the Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act (S. 1467), a bipartisan bill aimed at curbing the abusive use of trigger leads in the mortgage industry—a move widely applauded by mortgage trade groups. The Senate action follows the House Financial Services Committee’s approval of a similar bill (H.R. 2808) earlier this […]

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Judge blocks CFPB bid to undo Townstone redlining settlement

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A federal judge on Thursday blocked an attempt by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to reverse a $105,000 settlement with Townstone Financial, a Chicago-based mortgage broker accused of discouraging Black applicants. U.S. District Judge Franklin Valderrama ruled that allowing the CFPB to unwind the deal, finalized last year, “would erode public confidence in the […]

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Judge sets trial timeline for Mutual of Omaha and Longbridge

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An order signed by a magistrate judge in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California has established a forward timeline for the ongoing lawsuit between major reverse mortgage industry lenders Mutual of Omaha Mortgage and Longbridge Financial. A trial is scheduled to begin in November 2026, according to court documents viewed by […]

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Truliant registers first eHELOC using DocMagic mortgage tech 

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North Carolina-based Truliant Federal Credit Union announced Wednesday that it successfully utilized DocMagic’s technology to complete the first electronic home equity line of credit (eHELOC) registration with Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems‘ (MERS) national electronic database. Truliant said the home equity note was registered using DocMagic‘s digital lending technology on June 6. The MERS database tracks […]

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Tips for aging in place from … Best Buy?

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Best practices for aging in place can come from a wide variety of academic and informational sources, but how often do you get these tips from the same place you browse the latest in TV and home theater technology? U.S. electronics retailer Best Buy is offering information on its technology product that could make aging […]

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Xactus integrates flood compliance solution with ICE’s mortgage servicing system

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Xactus on Wednesday announced the completion of its integration with MSP, the loan servicing system operated by Intercontinental Exchange (ICE). The integration enables mortgage servicers to receive automated flood zone determination updates directly into their systems without manual intervention. “This integration is a market-changing development for both Xactus and mortgage servicers who rely on systems […]

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Why more servicers are implementing technology integrations through APIs 

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With a variety of change impacting the mortgage industry, including borrow demands, digital transformation, and regulatory requirements, mortgage servicers are re-evaluating the systems they use and how they interact with each other. With this in mind, servicers must leverage technology and platforms that offer seamless, real-time integration that allows for operational efficiency, data security, and […]

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Rocket Pro announces partnership with Vetted VA

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Rocket Pro is partnering with Vetted VA, which provides education to veterans and training to loan officers to give veterans better access to home loan benefits. The partnership, announced on Tuesday at The Gathering by HousingWire, will involve the training of Rocket staff and LOs by Vetted VA so the lender can better serve the […]

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Total Expert debuts AI Sales Assistant at The Gathering

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Total Expert on Tuesday announced the debut of its AI Sales Assistant at HousingWire‘s The Gathering. The company said that the AI-powered assistant is already in private beta testing with select customers, including several top 10 lenders. Total Expert said that the AI Sales Assistant is not a chatbot retrofitted for financial services but is […]

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Better hires former FHFA AI leader Leah Price

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Digital mortgage lender Better.com has hired Leah Price, who previously led fintech and artificial intelligence innovation efforts at the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), to lead its technology platform. Price joined the FHFA in 2024 as a senior financial technology and innovation specialist. In January 2025, she was promoted to lead its Office of Financial […]

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Reverse mortgage performance was largely steady in May

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Despite a raft of what might seem like contradictory economic data points and a challenged housing market, the reverse mortgage industry largely proceeded as normal based on key performance metrics for May 2025. Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) endorsements dropped by 1% in May to 2,296 loans, despite recent increases in the expected interest rate […]

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Ginger Bell joins NAMB as growth officer

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Ginger Bell, a marketing professional and founder of Go2Training has joined the National Association of Mortgage Brokers (NAMB) as its growth officer, the association announced on Monday. In her new role, Bell will lead initiatives to drive business growth and member value for mortgage professionals. NAMB confirmed that Bell will also lead the development and […]

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Gradient Mortgage Capital launches to serve DSCR clientele

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Florida-based Gradient Mortgage Capital, a wholesale mortgage banking platform, launched Monday with the intent to serve mortgage bankers and brokers across the country with debt-service-coverage ratio (DSCR) and small-balance commercial real estate loans. Gradient is an affiliate of Saluda Grade, an alternative investment firm that specializes in asset-based lending. In a news release, Gradient said […]

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Nationwide Mortgage Bankers brings on new chief culture officer

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Nationwide Mortgage Bankers Inc. (NMB) announced on Monday its appointment of Chris Allen to the role of chief culture officer. Before joining NMB, Allen held roles in business consulting and also served as chief talent officer at Movement Mortgage, helping to grow the company to more than 4,000 employees while developing its in-house training program, Movement University. […]

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Blend sells Title365 to Covius Services

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Blend Labs Inc. is officially exiting the title business with the sale of its Title365 subsidiary to Covius Services, the companies announced on Monday. Blend acquired Title365 from Mr. Cooper for $422 million in 2021. While it’s stepping away from title operations, Blend will continue to use the platform for title and closing services. The […]

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RetroRate funding round will fuel assumable mortgage tool set

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RetroRate, a startup focused on making assumable mortgages easier to find and evaluate, has raised $2.2 million in seed funding. The platform allows real estate agents to find assumable loans through MLS data and guides them through a complex approval and closing. By streamlining this process, RetroRate aims to make assumable mortgages more accessible and […]

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Senators call on Pulte to pause GSE privatization plans

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A group of 14 Democratic senators, led by Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), have called on Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte to pause any potential plans to release government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from conservatorship. The letter, first reported by Bloomberg, said that any potential […]

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Rocket, PennyMac price new debt offerings

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Rocket Companies and PennyMac Mortgage Investment Trust priced new debt issuances this week. While Rocket is refinancing debt tied to its Mr. Cooper acquisition, PennyMac is supporting its investment and lending strategies. Rocket priced $4 billion in senior unsecured notes — $2 billion due in 2030 at 6.125% and $2 billion due in 2033 at […]

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Clear Capital integrates appraisal reviews with ICE

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Mortgage and valuation technology firm Clear Capital has integrated its automated appraisal review platform, ClearCollateral Review, with ICE Mortgage Technology’s Encompass Partner Connect. The move allows lenders to access appraisal review tools directly within their loan origination systems. Encompass Partner Connect is part of a broader application programming interface (API) framework developed by ICE to […]

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Legal fight between Longbridge and Mutual of Omaha continues

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In the ongoing lawsuit between two leading reverse mortgage lenders over allegations of improper advertising practices, both parties recently conferred in front of a magistrate judge, but did not reach a settlement. That’s according to the court docket reviewed by HousingWire’s Reverse Mortgage Daily (RMD). The lawsuit between Longbridge Financial and Mutual of Omaha Mortgage […]

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Blue Sage Solutions adds rent payment data to Freddie Mac mortgage assessments

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Blue Sage Solutions has integrated Freddie Mac’s new policy on positive rental payment history into its digital lending platform, allowing lenders to factor on-time rent payments into mortgage applications. The change comes as part of a broader effort to expand access to homeownership, particularly for renters with limited traditional credit histories. Freddie Mac’s Loan Product […]

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Newrez hires former Rocket CIO Brian Woodring

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Newrez, the fifth largest mortgage lender in the U.S., on Thursday announced the appointment of Brian Woodring as its chief information officer. Woodring previously worked at Rocket Mortgage, where he held the same position before leaving in April 2024. In his new role at Newrez, Woodring will oversee the company’s technology initiatives, which include digital […]