Following another decline in mortgage rates, mortgage applications increased 0.6% from one week earlier, per data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)’s weekly mortgage applications survey for the week ending Sept. 19, 2025. Without adjusting for seasonality, the index increased 0.1% compared with the previous week. A key driver of applications was the refinance share […]
As lenders look to modernize their quality control operations, many are exploring the potential of artificial intelligence to streamline processes, improve loan quality and reduce risk. In this executive conversation, HousingWire spoke with Trevor Gauthier, CEO of ACES Quality Management, about how QC has evolved over time, how AI is reshaping expectations and what lenders […]
Amid a new administration and new lending rules entering the arena, 60% of organizations say they are struggling to keep systems aligned with evolving federal and state rules. That’s according to new survey findings from Carleton, a provider of compliant loan calculation and disclosure solutions. The company evaluated the extent to which lenders face ongoing […]
San Diego-based Smartfi Home Loans, a top 15 U.S. reverse mortgage lender, recently made the decision to close its retail division and place an “exclusive focus” on its wholesale channel, the company confirmed Tuesday with HousingWire’s Reverse Mortgage Daily. The move was officially announced Sept. 15 and ends a short stint for the company’s retail […]
On Tuesday, Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte took to X to announce the agency’s termination of the advisory committee on affordable, equitable and sustainable housing, also known as ACAESH. “Effective Immediately, U.S. Federal Housing is TERMINATING Biden’s ‘racial equality committee’ which was dishonestly labeled ‘Affordable, Equitable, and Sustainable Housing.’ We are, instead, […]
In an effort to support Los Angeles wildfire victims, California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday signed into law Assembly Bill 238, which requires mortgage lenders to help borrowers experiencing financial hardship due to the disasters through mortgage forbearance for up to 12 months. The legislation expands on a January announcement that 270 state-chartered banks, credit […]
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has alerted beneficiaries that paper checks will no longer be issued after Sept. 30 and urges anyone still receiving them to switch to electronic payments. “If you still receive paper checks, now is the time to act,” the SSA said in a statement. “To avoid any disruption in payments, you […]
Sagent, a Warburg Pincus-backed fintech firm, announced on Tuesday that it has partnered with the Idaho Housing and Finance Association (IHFA) to implement Sagent’s Dara Claims platform. IHFA is a non-profit organization that provides affordable housing solutions and economic development opportunities across Idaho. The organization also services roughly 300,000 loans across Idaho and other states. “This […]
Fannie Mae’s Economic and Strategic Research (ESR) Group now predicts mortgage rates to end 2025 and 2026 at 6.4% and 5.9%, respectively, compared to 6.5% and 6.1% in its previous forecast. The group also revised its real gross domestic product (GDP) growth outlook for 2025 and 2026 to 1.5% and 2.1% on a Q4/Q4 basis, […]
OceanFirst Bank will exit the mortgage origination business and partner with Embrace Home Loans to provide financing options to its customers, a spokesperson confirmed to HousingWire. “Residential lending has become dominated in recent years by large-scale wholesale mortgage companies and financial technology firms, prompting many banks to re-evaluate their mortgage business models,” said Jill Hewitt, […]
Digital closing provider Snapdocs on Tuesday announced a new integration between its eClosing platform and Vesta, a next-generation loan origination system (LOS) and a provider of mortgage origination software. With Snapdocs powering one in four U.S. real estate transactions, this integration lets mutual customers manage the full closing process directly within the Vesta LOS. It’s […]
A new bill introduced in the Ohio Senate would create a grant program to help older and disabled homeowners cover the cost of their property taxes, mortgages and essential household bills. Senate Bill 255 — dubbed the “Save the Dream Ohio” program — would allow qualifying homeowners to apply for up to $3,000 per year […]
Katie Sweeney, the former top dog at the Association of Independent Mortgage Experts (AIME) and the current executive vice president of strategy and broker advocacy at Rocket Pro, is denying claims by AIME that she misrepresented her role, concealed conflicts and awarded herself payments she wasn’t entitled to. Sweeney is suing the trade group for […]
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday that Tony Sertich is the new executive director of the California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA). Sertich most recently served as the assistant deputy director for the division of state financial assistance at the California Department of Housing and Community Development. He’s also served at CalHFA before as its financing […]
OCMBC Inc., dba LoanStream Mortgage, announced on Monday the retirement of its dba, Jet Advantage Mortgage, and the official launch of GIANT Lending. According to a press release from the company, the new identity “underscores the division’s mission to equip brokers with the strength, resources and support they need to thrive in any market.” “With […]
The Market Action Index has decreased slightly from 35 last month to 33.9 currently. This shows sellers still have the upper hand in the housing sector, but their advantage may be softening. With 42% of property listings dropping prices, it’s clear sellers are increasingly responsive to homebuyer feedback in today’s market conditions. Based on national […]
Technology teams at top reverse mortgage lenders are expanding as companies develop new tools to bring artificial intelligence (AI) solutions to seniors. Finance of America (FOA) employs about 170 people across technology, data, engineering, product and project management. Of this group, 20 to 30 are dedicated to AI and data — and it’s the fastest-growing […]
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: From Zillow to sphere: Why you must know the source of your real estate referrals Real estate agents are navigating a shifting lead-gen landscape — balancing referrals, paid […]
With the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget predicting that Social Security’s retirement trust funds will run out by 2032, policymakers are being forced to act fast. When asked during Fox Business News‘s “Mornings with Maria” segment on Thursday whether the retirement age would change, Social Security Administration Commissioner Frank Bisignano said “everything’s being considered” […]
Top U.S. reverse mortgage lenders are entering a new phase in their artificial intelligence (AI) strategy: deploying customer-facing tools to engage more directly with seniors. After achieving operational efficiencies by using AI internally, lenders now plan to roll out chatbots, voice agents and digital prequalification tools to a broader base of borrowers starting in the […]
Last week, a UMortgage originator took to LinkedIn to announce a unique loan he was working on — a $4 million non-QM loan for a borrower using cryptocurrency through an off-exchange XRP wallet to qualify. Industry observers say the deal highlights both the potential and the challenges of bringing digital assets into housing finance. The […]
Pennymac TPO announced on Thursday that it’s raising its conforming loan limits for mortgage brokers to $819,000, effective Sept. 19. Pennymac‘s news comes just one day after United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) increased its single-family conforming loan limit from $806,500 to $819,000 for conventional and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) loans. “Pennymac is committed to […]
Blackstone has promoted company veteran Katie Keenan to chief executive of its real estate income trust and global head of the Core+ business, the firm announced Friday. Keenan — who has been with the firm for more than a decade — currently serves as global co-chief investment officer for real estate debt strategies and as […]
The non-qualified mortgage market has experienced significant growth since its introduction nearly a decade ago. 10 years in, credit ratings agencies regularly release performance metrics for investors, which provide remarkable insight into this extremely versatile asset class. In a recent default study on non-QM performance over the years, for example, KBRA analysts note that non-QM […]
The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to issue an emergency order that would allow for the removal of Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve’s board of governors. The move came after an appeals court refused to back the administration’s attempt to oust Cook earlier this week, upholding federal Judge Jia Cobb’s order last […]
The Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) announced on Thursday that it is partnering with the Tobias Harris Homeownership Initiative, Guild Mortgage and Homium on a pilot shared-appreciation mortgage program aimed at expanding access to homeownership in Detroit. The effort is backed by Detroit Pistons basketball player Tobias Harris. The mortgage product will provide qualified […]
CrossCountry HoldCo, the parent company of retail lender CrossCountry Mortgage (CCM), has partnered with a fund from Ares Alternative Credit and Hildene Capital Management to expand its nonagency mortgage asset management arm. The agreements, announced Thursday, provide access to $1 billion in equity capital commitments, representing roughly $20 billion in new loan investments for the […]
NEO Home Loans, powered by Better, on Thursday announced that brokers Daryn Fillis and Erik Gascho have joined the company. After years in the broker channel, Fillis and Gascho looked for a model that “delivered the true transparency, control, and partnership they had been promised but rarely experienced,” according to a press release from Better. […]
Last month, a federal appeals court ruled that many of the tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) were illegal. Gulp. The tariffs in question — sometimes called “reciprocal” tariffs — had raised import tax rates up to 50% on India and Brazil and as high as 145% on certain Chinese goods. […]
Groundfloor Lending on Wednesday announced the expansion of its leadership team as its new business unit continues to scale. The recent appointments of Patrick Donoghue as vice president and general manager, Kendall Bazan as vice president of revenue, and Andrew Hurd as vice president of risk mark the next chapter for Groundfloor Lending as it […]
Last week, Traditional Mortgage Acceptance Corp. (TMAC), dba GoodLife Home Loans, announced a leadership change when it promoted Chase Kinder to lead its wholesale division. GoodLife is the country’s fourth-largest originator of Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECMs), according to the most recent industry data from Reverse Market Insight. The company endorsed 1,344 HECM loans during […]
The Federal Reserve lowered its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points on Wednesday, setting the target range at 4% to 4.25%. The first cut since December 2024 marks a new phase in the central bank’s effort to balance maximum employment and stable prices. Economists say it could usher in an easing cycle with direct […]
American Senior Lending, a national home equity solutions company, on Wednesday launched EquitySelect, a first-lien home equity loan designed to give retirees more financial flexibility. The nonrecourse loan — meaning that borrowers and their heirs will never owe more than the home is worth — lets borrowers choose their monthly payments, with options as low […]
The Community Home Lenders of America (CHLA) and the Community Associations Institute (CAI) urged the Trump administration on Wednesday to let the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) insure loans for condominiums in projects already approved by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac but not yet cleared by FHA. The request comes as the administration is reportedly deciding […]
United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) increased its conforming loan ceiling on Wednesday, months before the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is expected to announce official 2026 limits in November. Effective immediately, UWM raised the one-unit conforming loan limit from $806,500 to $819,000 for conventional and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) loans. The change reflects the company’s […]
Asset manager Rithm Capital Corp., the parent company of multichannel lender Newrez, has agreed to pay $1.6 billion to acquire Paramount Group and develop a presence in the office market, the companies announced Wednesday. Real estate investment trust (REIT) Paramount specializes in office properties in New York and San Francisco, with 13 owned and four […]
Continuing their upward trajectory, mortgage applications increased 29.7% from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)’s weekly mortgage applications survey for the week ending Sept. 12. On an unadjusted basis, the index increased 43% compared with the previous week. Last week’s results included an adjustment for the Labor Day holiday. […]
Ohio-based Union Home Mortgage (UHM), led by Bill Cosgrove, has reached an agreement to acquire California-based Sierra Pacific Mortgage‘s assets, sources told HousingWire. The deal marks UHM’s second deal in 2025, following its March purchase of Houston-based Nations Reliable Lending (NRL Mortgage). The move comes less than three years after UHM acquired Amerifirst Home Mortgage. […]
Pacaso on Tuesday announced the launch of the first purpose-built, 30-year mortgage designed for co-ownership of vacation homes in the U.S. The new financing option gives qualified buyers and existing Pacaso owners a standardized way to finance their share of a second home, with a simplified closing process. The product is backed by a $100 […]
A new survey from Clever Real Estate shows that 61% of baby boomer homeowners say they “never” plan to sell their homes, a jump of 7 percentage points from 2024. The main reason? More than half want to age in place. “For years, analysts and experts have wondered when boomers might sell their homes and […]
Supreme Lending on Tuesday announced the launch of HOMESÍ by Supreme Lending, a new division dedicated to advancing Latino homeownership. Short for Home + Sí, HOMESÍ reflects the company’s promise to say “yes” to more families through responsible lending, financial education and mentorship, powered by Supreme Lending’s national scale. HOMESÍ stands for: Hope: Inspiring belief […]
Mortgage applications for new home purchases increased 1.0% compared to a year ago. Compared to July 2025, however, applications decreased by 6%. That’s according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) Builder Application Survey (BAS), which shows data for August 2025. “Applications to purchase newly constructed homes remained higher than last year, although the monthly pace […]
Key Mortgage Services Inc. on Tuesday announced the launch of Key Mortgage Affinity, a partnership program designed to help credit unions and community banks expand their mortgage offerings without losing their own branding. The Chicago-based lender, which is also part of the Baird & Warner family of companies, said that Affinity provides back-end support — […]
The reliability of Automated Valuation Models (AVMs) has been thrust into the spotlight in recent weeks, following groundbreaking changes in the way these models are now being tested. The implications for home equity lenders, who rely heavily on AVMs to determine property values, could be far-reaching, especially as the industry grapples with new regulatory questions […]
In a narrow 48-47 vote, the U.S. Senate confirmed economist Stephen Miran to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors on Monday evening ahead of a highly anticipated FOMC meeting. Miran, chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, was approved by the Senate Banking Committee last week with all Republicans voting in favor and […]