The mortgage industry recorded a modest increase in the number of producing loan officers in 2025 — the first annual rise since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to preliminary data from mortgage technology platform RETR. The number of LOs who originated at least one mortgage in 2025 reached 221,161, up slightly from 220,449 in 2024. “That’s […]
Bill Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), took to the social media platform X on Monday to seemingly call out credit bureaus for their pricing. “I do not understand what the credit bureaus are doing with their pricing — they are inviting a lot of scrutiny that is only intensifying by […]
United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) has asked a federal judge in Michigan to strike proposed class-action claims in a lawsuit that accuses the lender of violating federal and state consumer protection laws. UWM argues that the case cannot legally proceed on a classwide basis. In a reply brief filed on Dec. 16, UWM told the U.S. […]
Mortgage rate movements remained calm in the opening days of the new year, and there’s little on the horizon to suggest that the pattern will change anytime soon. At HousingWire’s Mortgage Rates Center on Tuesday, rates for 30-year conforming loans averaged 6.37%, up 1 basis points from one week ago. Rates for 30-year jumbo loans […]
Finance of America (FoA) has appointed Angela Tribelli as chief marketing officer, tasking her with overseeing the company’s brand, communications and marketing strategy. Tribelli, most recently global head of consumer marketing and growth at Bloomberg Media, began the role on Jan. 2. A seasoned marketing executive, Tribelli will report to FoA President Kristen Sieffert and […]
MeridianLink Inc. announced on Tuesday that Raj Patel has joined the company as its chief technology officer. Patel, who brings decades of experience scaling enterprise SaaS and consumer technology platforms, will oversee the Irvine-based company’s technology strategy and product innovation, focusing on AI-driven solutions and marketplace integrations for banks and credit unions. “With Raj’s leadership, […]
Trust is built through relationships. It is not automatic, it is not assumed, and it is never guaranteed — it is earned. Working for a well-respected company with a long history of service does not automatically make someone a Trusted Mortgage Advisor. Trust is personal. It belongs to the relationship between the loan officer and […]
By the end of the decade, the U.S. will be markedly older. One in five Americans will be at least 65 by 2030, and by 2034, older adults will outnumber children for the first time, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This demographic reality is already transforming the economy — from the size of the […]
Mutual of Omaha Mortgage led originations for the federal reverse mortgage program in 2025, a year in which Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) endorsements faced a 43-day shutdown and overall volume remained relatively flat compared to 2024. Mutual of Omaha endorsed 447 HECMs in December, bringing its total for all of 2025 to 5,740 loans, […]
In the mortgage M&A arena, 2025 marked a year of transition from distressed sales to strategic moves — a period when large deals took place and servicing became crucial to long-term strategies. The broader mortgage sector accelerated its pace of M&A activity in 2025. HousingWire tracked 62 mergers and acquisitions, exits and entrances, investments and […]
NFM Lending‘s LaTasha Waddy announced that she’s stepping into the role of company president. As a result, current NFM President Bob Tyson is moving into the CEO’s role, a move that was confirmed by NFM managing director Greg Sher on LinkedIn. Sher told HousingWire that the changes were effective Jan. 1, and that CEO David […]
Sagent, a leading provider of mortgage servicing technology, announced on Monday the appointment of Chris Marshall as CEO. Marshall, who is Sagent‘s board chairman, will retain that role. He will also work closely with Sagent’s customers and prospects, including many of the country’s top mortgage servicers, to implement Sagent’s end-to-end Dara platform at scale. Current […]
The National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA) has voiced formal support for New Jersey Senate Bill 4970 — urging lawmakers to advance legislation that would clarify how reverse mortgages are treated under the state’s secondary mortgage law. In a letter sent to State Sen. Joseph Lagana, the association said the bill would exempt reverse mortgage […]
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued new guidance that clarifies how appraisers are added to, maintained on and removed from the FHA Appraiser Roster. Mortgagee Letter 2025-24 — effective immediately — updates FHA policy to make appraiser eligibility easier to track and more consistent with federal and state licensing records. Changes apply […]
Manually updating spreadsheets. Dealing with paper jams in the printer. Remember what office life was like in 2005? If you’re feeling nostalgic, you can find many of the same practices still in place in the investor’s reporting offices of loan servicers today. But why haven’t these offices evolved with changing technology? It’s partly cultural, but […]
A Massachusetts judge has barred home equity contract provider Hometap from arguing that state regulators previously approved or implicitly sanctioned the company’s business model — strengthening the attorney general’s consumer protection lawsuit against Hometap. In a Dec. 19 decision, Suffolk County Superior Court Judge Debra Squires-Lee ruled that such fairness-based arguments cannot be used to […]
Mortgage rate movement remains stuck in neutral as 2025 comes to an end, but the U.S. housing market has shown signs of life during a traditionally slow period. On Monday, Mortgage News Daily reported an average 30-year fixed rate of 6.19%, down 5 basis points from a week earlier. And on Tuesday, HousingWire’s Mortgage Rates […]
Once viewed as a niche option, private lending has rapidly entered the mainstream as more borrowers discover the speed, flexibility, and accessibility of private credit financing. But as the industry attracts new borrowers, it is also evolving with their needs, particularly in the balance between short-term and long-term loans. To understand where private lending is […]
The median first-time homebuyer in the U.S. in 40 years old, which is a record high. One of the main reasons is that Millennials typically delay ownership by about 7 years, and Gen Z only have a 26% homeownership rate by their late 20s, far behind previous generations.A growing financial strain These younger Americans are […]
The reverse mortgage market is expected to see growth in 2026 as lenders and originators adapt to evolving interest rate conditions and innovate to reach more borrowers. John Lunde, founder and president of Reverse Market Insight, said that 2025 marked a shift in focus for many originators, as they recognized that mortgage rates might not […]
If you’re self-employed, paid on commission, or run a business, you already know the frustration: you can have strong cash flow, great credit, and real assets—yet a traditional mortgage can still feel like a square peg in a round hole. That’s exactly why bank statement loans exist. They’re designed for borrowers whose real income is […]
For real estate investors sidelined by traditional income documentation requirements, debt-service-coverage ratio (DSCR) loans are becoming easier to access and are more widely available as lenders refine underwriting and gain confidence in the product’s performance. Like other seemingly “nontraditional” loans, lenders took some time to dip their toes into in the DSCR market. Marc Halpern, […]
Mortgage applications decreased 5.0% from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) weekly mortgage applications survey for the week ending Dec. 19, 2025. On an unadjusted basis, the index decreased 6% compared with the previous week. The refinance index decreased 6% from the previous week and was 110% higher than […]
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick recently announced “Operation Double Nickel,” a proposal that would lower the age for senior property tax benefits from 65 to 55 and expand homestead tax exemptions. According to Patrick’s website, the plan “would accelerate school property tax cuts, reduce school property taxes, and freeze appraised values for more than 3.3 […]
Mortgage rates started the year slightly above 7% but are heading into the holiday season near the 6.2% level. Looking ahead to 2026, lenders and industry experts expect some relief, though not a dramatic shift. On Monday, Mortgage News Daily reported that 30-year conventional fixed rates averaged 6.24%, down 2 basis points (bps) over the […]
Economic growth is expected to slow in 2026 and remain below trend for several years as higher interest rates and lingering inflation pressures weigh on the U.S. economy, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s December Economic and Mortgage Finance forecasts. MBA economists Mike Fratantoni, Joel Kan and Judie Ricks wrote that the forecasts show 2025 […]
U.S. mortgage delinquencies jumped sharply in November, reaching their highest level in more than four years, according to ICE Mortgage Technology’s latest First Look report, released on Tuesday. The national delinquency rate rose to 3.85% in November, up 50 basis points from October, as the number of past-due mortgages increased by 275,000 to about 2.3 […]
In a wholesale mortgage market dominated by giants, Arizona-based lender The Loan Store (TLS) has found a way to grow quickly by hiring a team of “samurai” account executives and underwriters from across the industry and picking up loans that others would deny. In the first nine months of 2025, the company doubled its origination […]
After serving as Sierra Pacific Mortgage’s chief operating officer for a year, Suzy Lindblom has moved on to Acra Lending, according to her LinkedIn post on Monday morning. Lindblom said that “While it was sad to see Sierra Pacific Mortgage Company, Inc. close and transition, it ultimately opened a door for a new and exciting opportunity.” Lindblom […]
Financial services and insurance firms are facing rising exposure to cyberattacks, fraud and other third-party risks while struggling with poor data quality that is slowing decision-making and artificial intelligence adoption, according to a new global survey from Dun & Bradstreet released earlier this month. The survey of more than 2,000 senior professionals across the United […]
The National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA) is urging the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to revise proposed changes to federal fair lending rules, warning that the agency’s approach could undermine reverse mortgages by restricting the permissible use of age in credit programs. In a comment letter submitted to the CFPB on Dec. 15, the […]
Demand for debt-service-coverage ratio (DSCR) loans grew in 2025 as tight housing inventory and a rising share of nontraditional wage earners pushed more borrowers toward alternative products. The demand was contagious across the industry. In November, Rocket Pro announced the launch of its first DSCR product for investment properties, marking a turning point as companies […]
A proposal to remove housing counseling as a front-end requirement for borrowers seeking government-insured reverse mortgages would eliminate a key consumer protection for seniors, according to Peter M. Mazonas, CEO of NatEquity Inc. Mazonas voiced his concerns in a letter to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. His comments came in response to […]
Better Home & Finance Holding Co. announced Friday the appointment of Barry Feierstein as the company’s chief operating officer. In his new role, Feierstein will oversee Better’s corporate operations. “We’re thrilled to have Barry on board as Better’s new COO. His background brings a rare combination of entrepreneurial spirit and operational discipline that will strengthen […]
On Thursday evening, the Senate confirmed Frank Cassidy as the next Federal Housing Administration (FHA) commissioner and the assistant secretary for housing, Joe Gormley as Ginnie Mae‘s new president, and Travis Hill as chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC). The confirmations follow the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs advancing the […]
Today’s lending environment is tight, and margins are feeling the pressure. It’s clear that a lender’s profitability has a lot to do with how well decisions are made and managed throughout the loan process. But many lenders are still relying on manual reviews and policy updates that can take weeks to put into place. AI […]
A recent Cato Institute survey of 2,000 adults found strong bipartisan support for creating an independent, nonpartisan commission with authority to address Social Security’s long-term funding shortfall. Seventy-one percent of respondents said they favor Congress establishing such a body, reflecting broad frustration with lawmakers and growing openness to an alternative decision-making process. Support cuts across […]
Nearly half of retirement plan participants carry credit card debt, a factor that increases the likelihood they’ll take a loan from their retirement accounts, according to a new report from J.P. Morgan Asset Management. The “Retirement by the Numbers” study found that high credit card balances are linked to lower contribution rates and smaller account […]
The move by United Wholesale Mortgage’s (UWM) parent company to acquire Two Harbors Investment Corp. for $1.3 billion — the first acquisition in its history — marks a shift towards a more balanced business model between origination and servicing for the nation’s top mortgage lender. UWM will continue to focus on its broker channel, while […]
AD Mortgage on Thursday released its first Mortgage Professionals Pulse Report & 2026 Outlook, which offers a glimpse into broker sentiment, performance, challenges and expectations based on a survey of more than 300 mortgage professionals nationwide. The survey, conducted in late November and early December, found that 70% of respondents said 2025 was a better […]
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) on Wednesday issued proposed guidance to simplify how community banks can meet Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) requirements through a strategic plan. The proposal follows a series of changes announced by the OCC in October and November that aim to reduce regulatory burdens for community banks. The […]
Homebuyer affordability improved slightly in November as the national median monthly mortgage payment for purchase applicants dropped to $2,034, down $5 from October, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)’s Purchase Applications Payment Index (PAPI) released Thursday. On an annual basis, payments were down by $99, equal to a 4.6% decrease. MBA’s PAPI, which tracks […]
CrossCountry Mortgage (CCM) announced Wednesday that it’s welcoming the Victor Alpha Group to the company. Led by the husband-and-wife duo of Patton Gade and Shari Gade, the team brings more than 20 mortgage professionals with military ties to CCM. “This team exemplifies the values that define CrossCountry Mortgage,” Ron Leonhardt, founder and CEO of CrossCountry […]
Mutual of Omaha Mortgage is marketing a $243.3 million securitization backed by newly originated proprietary reverse mortgages, according to a presale report published Monday by Morningstar DBRS. The transaction is backed by 318 reverse mortgages with about $200.1 million in unpaid principal balance, most of which were originated in 2025 and are secured by first […]
Movement Mortgage has a new East Coast growth director, according to a press release from the company on Wednesday. Justin Caplan is taking on the role. He is tasked with leading and supporting market expansion, along with strengthening recruiting and leadership development. Caplan, who has 30 years of industry experience, has funded more than $1 […]