Financial services platform Robinhood and Sage Home Loans announced an exclusive offer on Monday, allowing Robinhood Gold subscribers to access mortgage rates at least 0.75% below the national average, along with a $500 credit toward closing costs on a new home purchase or refinance through Sage Home Loans. Gold subscribers are described as a subscription-based […]
After a decade of home price growth, many homeowners today are sitting on a mountain of equity. Tappable equity hit a record high in Q2 of this year, when 48 million mortgage holders reportedly had an average of $213,000 in accessible value. That growing equity has translated into a renewed interest in home equity (HE) […]
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: Zillow’s Follow Up Boss privacy policy changes spark industry debate Zillow‘s updated privacy policy for Follow Up Boss has sparked debate among real estate agents. The policy introduces […]
Non-QM production at multi-channel mortgage lender Newrez has surged 40% in recent months, with company leaders pointing to enhanced guidelines and growing demand for second mortgages as key drivers of record-breaking wholesale production. Coming off of the company’s Q3 2025 earnings report on Thursday, Tony Kottenbrock, Newrez‘s head of wholesale, sat down with HousingWire to […]
Ocrolus, an AI-powered data and analytics platform for credit decisioning, recently announced it’s adding automated conditioning to its suite of products. The new solution allows mortgage lenders to move faster, increase loan quality and reduce compliance risk. The new capabilities, announced at the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Annual Convention and Expo in Las Vegas in mid-October, […]
The National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA) and other trade groups issued statements of support this week as they seek to have the Senate confirm two key leaders to federal housing posts. The letters reference President Donald Trump’s nominations of Joseph Gormley as president of Ginnie Mae and Frank Cassidy as commissioner of the Federal […]
Carrington Holding Co. on Friday announced that it has agreed to acquire Reliance First Capital from Tiptree Inc., a holding company that combines insurance operations with investment management expertise. “Together with our existing retail recapture, wholesale and correspondent businesses, our agreement to acquire Reliance First Capital looks to add a direct-to-consumer channel, making our mortgage platform […]
Intercontinental Exchange Inc. reported higher-than-expected earnings Thursday as strength in its mortgage technology and data businesses helped deliver the company’s best third-quarter financial performance on record. The operator of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and parent of ICE Mortgage Technology said it earned $816 million, or $1.42 per diluted share, in the quarter ended […]
Fannie Mae cut 62 jobs on Thursday across its operations, technology and diversity teams as part of an ongoing strategy imposed by Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte to reduce positions not related to the enterprise’s core activities. “Today Fannie Mae executed a standard business layoff of over 62 people, across the COO, […]
A completely new status quo for mortgage financing — especially one more favorable toward first-time homebuyers — was cited by real estate leaders as a vital step in improving housing affordability. For NextHome co-CEO Keith Robinson, affordability can’t be solved without addressing the mortgage system itself — one he says hasn’t fundamentally changed since the […]
We’ve all heard the refrain: it’s never been harder to buy your first home. The narrative almost always circles back to two usual suspects – mortgage rates and home prices. While rates and prices are undeniably visible and powerful levers, they are not the whole story. For industry insiders, the challenge (and the opportunity) lies […]
Rocket Companies reported a third-quarter 2025 adjusted net income of $158 million on adjusted revenue of $1.78 billion, exceeding the high end of its guidance range, the Detroit-based mortgage lender said Thursday. On a GAAP basis, the company posted a net loss of $124 million on total revenue of $1.61 billion, up from Q2 2025’s […]
Mortgage industry experts are divided over the idea of allowing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to increase their purchases of mortgage-backed securities (MBS) in order to reduce mortgage rates, a proposal recently suggested by trade groups. While the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) could create demand quickly amid a reduction in the Federal Reserve’s presence in the […]
Dr. Cheryl Travis-Johnson, the executive vice president and chief operating officer of VRM Mortgage Services, died last week, according to the company. Travis-Johnson, an industry veteran with over 30 years of service, joined VRM in 2008 and helped to position the company as a “trusted and innovative partner” in delivering mortgage services. VRM’s press release […]
Top-producing mortgage originator Chris Planto has rejoined Rate as vice president of mortgage lending in the Houston market. Planto returns to Rate from CrossCountry Mortgage, where he most recently served as a senior loan officer. “We are absolutely thrilled to welcome back Chris Planto to our Rate family,” said Todd Heaton, an executive vice president […]
John Bell III, the deputy executive director for the Office of Mission Support at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), has died, according to posts on LinkedIn. Tim Rood, founder and CEO of Impact Capitol, shared the news in a post on Wednesday evening. “I wanted to make sure that folks knew that John Bell III, […]
The legal battle between Katie Sweeney and the Association of Independent Mortgage Experts (AIME) has escalated, with new allegations emerging against United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM). In a motion filed Oct. 28 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Sweeney sought permission to amend her complaint to add UWM, the title sponsor […]
Freddie Mac released its third-quarter 2025 earnings on Thursday morning, reporting a net income of $2.8 billion. While up from Q2 2025’s $2.4 billion, earnings for the government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) are down 11% year-over-year. The company says the decrease is attributed to “a credit reserve build in the current period compared to a credit reserve release […]
Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming mortgage operations, driving new levels of efficiency, compliance, and innovation, but the key lies in pairing technology with human expertise. In this conversation, Arvin Wijay, CEO of Consolidated Analytics, and Neil Sahota, the Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer, discuss how their organizations are integrating AI across the loan life cycle to […]
In today’s rapidly evolving financial landscape, mortgage lenders and servicers are facing intense pressure to expand access to credit while maintaining sustainable risk practices. A growing strategy to meet this challenge is the rise of fintech–nonprofit partnerships. These collaborations not only open new doors for underserved borrowers but also provide lenders with scalable tools to […]
The Federal Reserve delivered a 25-basis-point cut to its benchmark interest rate on Wednesday, setting the target range at 3.75% to 4%. The move, which brings the federal funds rate to its lowest level in three years, comes amid a softening labor market and inflation pressures. Monetary policy watchers expect another cut in December, which […]
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) on Wednesday issued a final rule to immediately rescind the nonbank registry rule and a proposal to create a registry of nonbank contract terms and conditions. The decision was applauded by mortgage trade groups. The nonbank registry rule was published in the Federal Register in July 2024 and set […]
Nearly two years after stepping down and retiring from Fannie Mae, past president David Benson has rejoined the government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) as senior adviser. Benson previously served a 21-year tenure at Fannie Mae in a wide range of positions, including interim CEO, chief financial officer, executive vice president of capital markets and treasurer. Federal Housing […]
Mortgage applications increased 7.1% from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) weekly mortgage applications survey for the week ending October 24, 2025. On an unadjusted basis, the index increased 7% compared with the previous week. The refinance index increased 9% from the previous week and was 111% higher than […]
A mortgage is more than a rate and a closing date. It is a family planning for what happens after the keys are in hand. That is why insurance is not optional and belongs beside pricing, product fit, and closing costs in a loan officer’s core toolkit. It is required for the loan, and it […]
A growing number of economists believe that the Federal Reserve is close to announcing the end of its quantitative tightening (QT) program — a move that could have wide-reaching implications for the mortgage industry. Over the past few weeks, central bank officials have signaled they are prepared to wind down the policy aimed at shrinking […]
Optimal Blue has responded to a class action lawsuit filed against it and 26 mortgage lenders, calling the claims “baseless” and “frivolous” and vowing to fight the lawsuit “all the way through.” “Optimal Blue is aware of the complaint filed against it, Black Knight, Inc., and many of the largest mortgage lenders, alleging a purported […]
A new study from Prudential Financial Inc. found that while most people around the world are confident about their retirement preparedness, that confidence may outpace their preparation. Prudential’s 2025 Global Retirement Pulse Survey, released Monday, is the first international edition of the company’s long-running Pulse Survey series. Its findings say that 89% of “mass affluent” […]
Mortgage rates hit the 2025 low of 6.13% again on Tuesday, according to Mortgage News Daily. Housing market activity has been stronger in the latter half of 2025, buoyed by mortgage rates that are trending closer to 6%. HousingWire’s Mortgage Rates Center, which tracks locked loans, shows that rates for 30-year conforming loans averaged 6.29% […]
PayPal Holdings Inc. and Bilt Rewards plan to roll out a feature early next year that will let customers use PayPal’s Venmo to pay rent and make mortgage payments.The move integrates Venmo into Bilt’s existing payment options, which include electronic transfers between bank accounts, debit and credit cards. Members can make payments directly through the […]
American Financial Resources (AFR) has rebranded as eLEND, a move the mortgage lender says is reflective of its focus on technology, efficiency and modernized lending for brokers and borrowers. The company formally announced the move on Tuesday, but it shared notice of the rebrand at the Association of Independent Mortgage Experts’ (AIME) Fuse conference in […]
The refinance experience is only as fast as its slowest step, and title insurance has traditionally been one of the least understood steps in the process – and, therefore, perceived as one of the most unpredictable. But the right technologies are making it possible to deliver instant title decisions for qualified files, reducing cycle times, […]
Xactus, a fintech company specializing in mortgage verification solutions, has announced three new integrations designed to enhance its Intelligent Verification Platform, Xactus360. The partnerships with Thomas & Co., Argyle and Plaid aim to expand lender access to real-time income, employment and asset data through a unified system. The integration of Peek Verify from Thomas & […]
Beeline Holdings announced that its subsidiary, Beeline Loans, has completed its first blockchain-recorded BeelineEquity transactions, becoming the first U.S. platform to tokenize residential home equity at scale. In its initial rollout, BeelineEquity finalized five blockchain-tracked home equity transactions, with five more scheduled this month and another 25 expected to close before the end of the […]
Multistate mortgage lender Click n’ Close on Monday announced a two-part initiative to help lenders manage loan pipelines during the federal government shutdown. According to a company press release, Click n’ Close is offering free lock extensions for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) loans that are already in its wholesale pipeline — and it will […]
Puerto Rico-based Popular Bank is exiting the mortgage business, according to an announcement made last week during the company’s third-quarter earnings call. “Specifically, as part of our ongoing efforts to improve profitability, we decided to exit the U.S. residential mortgage origination business and to close four underperforming branches in the New York metro area,” said […]
American Senior Lending, a dba of HighTechLending (HTL), is positioning its new home equity line of credit (HELOC) as a credit card-like tool for seniors — particularly those who don’t qualify for traditional revolving credit. The product, called EquitySelect, debuted in September as a first-lien HELOC that allows borrowers to set monthly payments as low […]
Last month, Members of Congress were treated to an on-the-ground look at manufactured housing – the sector of the housing industry that holds the greatest promise for meeting our nation’s affordable homeownership and rental housing challenges. At the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) “Innovative Housing Showcase” in early September on the National […]
While it may seem second-nature to realtors, lenders, and others in the industry, navigating the homebuying process can be overwhelming and confusing, particularly for first-time homebuyers. It can feel like a foreign language and it’s often easy for misconceptions to take root. This includes the characterization of private mortgage insurance, which helps first-time buyers and […]
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: It’s up to MLSs to decide if the Zillow-ChatGPT integration violates IDX policies The National Association of Realtors (NAR) said individual MLSs must determine whether Zillow’s ChatGPT integration […]
Fannie Mae on Friday announced the promotion of two long-time employees to lead its Single-Family business and general counsel’s office. “We are pleased to announce the promotion of Fannie Mae seasoned veterans Jake Williamson to acting head of single-family and Tom Klein to acting general counsel. These highly respected leaders will help lead the company […]
The mortgage market remains largely resilient — with delinquencies and foreclosures still below long-term averages — even as performance among Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans continues to weaken. That’s according to ICE Mortgage Technology’s First Look report on September mortgage performance data. The data, released Friday, show the national delinquency rate — loans 30 or […]
United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) on Friday announced three new tools to help independent mortgage brokers streamline loan processing, improve workflow efficiency and expand marketing efforts. The announcement, made at the Association of Independent Mortgage Experts’ (AIME) Fuse conference in Nashville, introduced UWM’s Income Calculator, Loan Lab and an upgraded version of Brand 360 created in […]
Fannie Mae’s Economic and Strategic Research (ESR) Group slightly lowered its mortgage rate outlook in October and now projects rates to end 2025 at 6.3%, down from its 6.4% forecast in September. The modest decline, however, is expected to lift single-family mortgage originations to $1.88 trillion this year. That’s up from the prior estimate of […]
Prosecutors reviewing the mortgage occupancy fraud case against New York Attorney General Letitia James determined there is evidence that undercuts the allegations against her, according to an ABC News report based on sources. According to a September memo summarizing the findings, any financial benefit James may have received would have been minimal — roughly $800 […]