Friday Harbor, an AI-powered platform that helps loan officers build compliant loan files in real time, announced this week that its AI Originator Assistant can now assess loans against lender and investor overlays in addition to standard program guidelines. The update aims to give lenders greater control over credit quality and secondary market performance by […]
Third-quarter earnings for big banks Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup Inc. surpassed investor expectations on Tuesday, marking Wall Street’s resilience during fickle economic times. Wells Fargo’s revenue for Q3 2025 reached $21.43 billion, compared to an expected $21.14 billion. As a result, the company’s stock surged 7.51% and closed at $82.08 in pre-market trading. […]
Finance of America (FOA) will begin offering home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) and home equity loans for homeowners ages 55 and older through the Tinman AI Platform that’s owned by Better Home & Finance Holding Co. At the same time, FOA will become Better’s partner for reverse mortgages, the companies announced Tuesday. “Our partnership […]
Dark Matter Technologies has expanded its Empower loan origination system (LOS) to include eClosing capabilities by integrating Wolters Kluwer’s eOriginal ClosingCenter and eOriginal eAsset Management Platform, the company announced Tuesday. The integration enables a fully digital mortgage closing process that supports hybrid, in-person electronic notarization (IPEN) and remote online notarization (RON). It also streamlines the […]
United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM)’s new partnership with loyalty platform Bilt underscores CEO Mat Ishbia’s vision for the company’s servicing portfolio since bringing these operations in house. Traditionally a seller of mortgage servicing rights (MSRs), the lender may now be more focused on retaining these assets. “Our model of selling servicing as often might not be […]
Point-of-sale (POS) solutions company Floify announced on Tuesday its launch of Dynamic AI, a new capability that shifts the mortgage application process by moving document collection and AI-driven data extraction to the very beginning of the process. Instead of filling out long questionnaires, borrowers can upload documents such as pay stubs, W-2s and identification. The […]
loanDepot, Inc. said on Tuesday it has moved two of its key consumer direct lending executives into new roles, reflecting a renewed focus on the channel. The move follows a series of leadership shakeups at the company ever since founder and CEO Anthony Hsieh returned to the helm of the organization this summer. On Monday, […]
Experian announced on Tuesday that it will offer VantageScore 4.0 for free to its mortgage clients in an effort to accelerate adoption — a move that comes just a week after competitor Equifax introduced its own pricing incentives. The credit bureau said the score will be available at no cost indefinitely, and if it ever […]
Fewer than half of Americans are financially prepared to maintain their standard of living after they stop working, according to Vanguard‘s Retirement Outlook. The study, released Tuesday, highlights both progress and persistent gaps in the nation’s retirement readiness. It found that just 42% of U.S. workers are on pace to sustain their lifestyle in retirement. […]
Xactus, a fintech specializing in mortgage verification solutions, on Tuesday launched the Xactus Mortgage Intent Index, which is described as the industry’s first measurement of borrower mortgage intent. The index, which is updated daily and presented as a non-seasonally adjusted weekly index, tracks early borrower behavior across the preapplication, application and preclosing stages. Xactus‘ index […]
You’ve built a lending process that works. Your team is efficient, your systems are dialed in and you’ve invested in technology to stay competitive. But if you still rely on credit reports, static databases or third-party records that borrowers didn’t explicitly authorize, you’re not as modern as you think. Consumer expectations have shifted. In a […]
PHH Mortgage Corp., a subsidiary of Onity Group, on Monday introduced a new suite of nonqualified mortgage (non-QM) products designed to serve its correspondent lending partners and a wide range of nontraditional borrowers. The product suite, known as FlexIQ, is expected to launch Oct. 20, the company announced in a press release. It includes full […]
Doug Lebda, the founder, chairman and CEO of LendingTree, died Sunday in an all-terrain vehicle accident, the company’s board of directors announced. “We are deeply saddened by the sudden passing of Doug,” the board said in a statement. “Doug was a visionary leader whose relentless drive, innovation and passion transformed the financial services landscape, touching […]
Rick Calle has returned to loanDepot as chief strategy officer to oversee mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and revenue operations, the company announced on Monday. Calle previously worked at loanDepot from 2013 to 2022, leaving the same year that Anthony Hsieh stepped down as CEO. During that time, he served as a strategic adviser to Hsieh […]
The Federal Reserve’s decision this month to cut its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points was encouraging news for Americans eager to become homeowners. Although mortgage rates aren’t set by the Fed, they are impacted by its policy changes. Indeed, prior to — and in anticipation of — the Fed’s announcement, mortgage rates fell […]
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: Mortgage execs advise lenders to embrace technology or risk falling behind Lenders were urged to embrace technology and adapt to a changing mortgage market at HousingWire‘s 2025 Mortgage […]
Loan officer Elizabeth Galan, who works for UMortgage in Cincinnati, has had to pivot her business strategy in 2025. Galan focuses on serving Hispanic borrowers — about 80% of her clients — in cities like Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio, as well as northern Kentucky. Many of them hold non-permanent resident status, meaning they live in […]
At the annual National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA) meeting, financial advisor and trainer Ryan Ponsford urged reverse mortgage professionals to strengthen their credibility and collaboration with financial advisors, saying the industry’s future depends on shifting perceptions and elevating professional standards. Ponsford, drawing on nearly three decades in the financial services sector, opened with anecdotes about industry […]
One Diligence, a provider of reviews and outsourcing solutions to the residential mortgage industry, announced on Thursday that reverse mortgage lender Longbridge Financial has implemented its artificial intelligence–driven platform to enhance accuracy and efficiency in loan servicing operations. Longbridge found an opportunity to improve how it verifies loan data between its origination system and loan […]
A group of homebuyers has filed a class action lawsuit against D.R. Horton, the nation’s largest homebuilding company, and its mortgage lending subsidiary, DHI Mortgage Co., alleging that the companies engaged in deceptive home-selling and mortgage practices that left buyers with unexpectedly high monthly payments. The lawsuit — filed Oct. 1 in the U.S. District […]
Fifth Third Bank says it has originated more than $5.2 billion in mortgages so far in 2025, ranking among the top 45 U.S. lenders and top 15 banks. The Cincinnati-based bank, already a top 10 mortgage servicer, said it has grown market share in 90% of its key markets this year as it continues to […]
At Blend Forum 2025, our annual executive gathering where more than 100 leaders from the nation’s top banks, credit unions, and IMBs came together to talk about the future of lending, one theme stood out. In his opening keynote, Nima Ghamsari, Co-Founder and Head of Blend, put it plainly: the speed of technology adoption is […]
Tens of thousands of veterans are missing out on the benefits of U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) home loans each year, with billions of dollars in potential mortgage volume left untapped, according to a new analysis from Veterans United Home Loans. The report found that more than 58,000 VA loans went unused in 2024, […]
Foreclosure activity across the United States continues to climb modestly in the third quarter of 2025, according to new data from ATTOM. The report shows 101,513 properties with foreclosure filings between July and September, up less than 1% from the previous quarter and 17% higher than a year earlier. In September alone, 35,602 properties received […]
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced last week that it’s seeking public comments about possible improvements to the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) and HECM mortgage-backed securities (HMBS) programs. Through a request for information (RFI) in the Federal Register, HUD, along with the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and Ginnie Mae, are […]
Forecasting and advisory firm iEmergent expects U.S. mortgage originations to reach $2.27 trillion in 2026, a 13% increase from 2025, as slowing economic growth and easing interest rates are priming a rebound in refinance and home purchase activity. The company released its 2025–2027 U.S. Mortgage Origination Forecast on Wednesday, which outlined a gradual housing market […]
The mortgage industry continues to grapple with margin compression, rapid technological disruption, and shifting demographics among borrowers. Brokers are trusted local specialists for their clients, and they demand more than just competitive pricing or product selection. The competition’s no longer just a matter of product or rate. They need transparency, accountability, and genuine partnership from […]
As the U.S. government hits its seventh shutdown day under President Donald Trump, economists and real estate analysts are watching anxiously for cracks in the housing market. One week in, there is limited evidence of direct shutdown effects, but many warning signs and structural risks loom. Carl Gomez, chief economist and head of market analytics […]
As Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac inch toward a possible release from federal conservatorship, industry leaders on Tuesday discussed potential paths for the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs), emphasizing the need for market stability and competition. The GSEs’ possible release and the timing of a change is the topic of much speculation. Recent commentary from U.S. Department […]
A class-action lawsuit filed in early October in Tennessee accuses software company Optimal Blue and some of the nation’s largest lenders of violating federal antitrust laws through an alleged mortgage price-fixing scheme. According to the complaint, filed Oct. 3 in a U.S. district court in Nashville, the defendants “exploited their control of the residential mortgage […]
AI mortgage automation firms TRUE and Candor Technology have partnered up to launch Instant Income Clarity, a new tool that verifies borrower income in minutes and makes the data accessible to loan officers and branch teams, not just underwriters. The companies said the jointly developed platform “combines TRUE’s Background AI workers with Candor’s proven decisioning […]
Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte announced on Tuesday that homebuilder executive Brandon Hamara, vice president at Tri Pointe Homes, will join Fannie Mae as a board member. “I am pleased to announce that Freddie Mac board member, Brandon Hamara, who is an expert in homebuilding, and a leader at Tri Pointe Homes, […]
Behind the hype of generative AI lies a tougher reality for mortgage and real estate leaders: adoption is anything but easy. Compliance hurdles, hidden costs, and the risk of bias make success dependent on clarity, discipline, and the right expertise. Radian has spent years laying the groundwork with data science and automation, giving the company […]
A question we’ve received from clients with increased frequency is whether they can forgo recording their loan modification agreement in certain circumstances or jurisdictions without jeopardizing their mortgage lien. And, as someone who has litigated several lien priority disputes stemming from an unrecorded loan modification agreement, I can say the answer isn’t always straightforward. From […]
Equifax announced changes to its pricing strategy following Fair Isaac Corp. (FICO)’s rollout of a new program that allows tri-merge resellers to calculate and distribute its scores directly to mortgage lenders. The credit bureau said it will offer VantageScore 4.0 – a direct competitor to FICO — at $4.50 per score through the end of […]
Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank President Jeff Schmid said Monday that inflation remains above the Fed’s goal and backed current interest rate policy — even as the labor market cools and housing costs remain a key driver of inflation. Speaking to the CFA Society Kansas City, Schmid said he voted in favor of the Fed’s […]
Mortgage rates have remained relatively stable in the past few days amid political turbulence, as the U.S. Congress has struggled to pass proposals to fund the government and end the shutdown, now in its seventh day. On Tuesday, HousingWire’s Mortgage Rates Center, which tracks locked loans, showed that 30-year conforming loan locks averaged 6.38%—four basis […]
Borrowers have added new details in an amended complaint alleging that loanDepot engaged in a “sophisticated, years-long scheme” to steer customers into higher-rate loans to inflate its performance ahead of its 2021 initial public offering (IPO). The class-action lawsuit, filed in July in Maryland, claims the lender required loan officers (LOs) who couldn’t push higher-cost […]
Frank Bisignano, the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA), will also serve as chief executive officer of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), a newly created position, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced on Monday. Bisignano will report directly to Scott Bessent, the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and Acting Commissioner of the IRS. […]
Mutual of Omaha Mortgage on Tuesday announced a partnership with Homebot Inc. to expand its referral network and deliver personalized home wealth insights to clients. Founded in 2015, Homebot offers a client-for-life portal for lenders, real estate agents and loan officers, which will now be available to Mutual of Omaha’s customers nationwide. In practice, Homebot’s […]
PennyMac Financial Services, Inc. and PennyMac Mortgage Investment Trust announced on Monday new executive leadership appointments. Marshall Sebring has been promoted to senior managing director and chief investment officer, while Shiva Iyer will assume the role of senior managing director and chief enterprise risk officer. The release also confirmed that Kevin Ryan will join the […]
Cleveland-based CrossCountry Mortgage (CCM) has taken a different approach from competitors. Rather than pursuing mergers and acquisitions to strengthen its origination and servicing platforms, the company has focused on organic growth by acquiring mortgage servicing rights (MSRs) and building an asset management arm. “Our servicing portfolio by year-end will be approximately $200 billion, and we’ve […]
For more than a decade, Fred Glick has been on a mission to shake up how Americans buy and sell homes. As founder of Arrivva — a California-based real estate and mortgage brokerage — Glick said his company’s fixed-fee model offers a transparent, affordable alternative to the traditional commission system. “People think because we’re not […]
Digital mortgage platform Beeline Holdings announced Monday that it has paid off more than $7 million in debt and is positioning itself to become cash flow positive by the first quarter of 2026. The company’s announcement also explained that all secured credit facilities, including senior debentures, were fully repaid as of Sept. 3, 2025. Only […]
A federal judge has sharply narrowed the scope of a class-action lawsuit filed in April 2024 alleging that United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) orchestrated a scheme with mortgage brokers to charge borrowers excess fees and costs. Plaintiffs Therisa D. Escue, Billy R. Escue, Kim Schelble and Brian P. Weatherill — each of whom obtained a mortgage […]