Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) on Monday announced the launch of ICE Fraud Monitor, a mortgage fraud and property research solution integrated with the Encompass loan origination system to help lenders reduce risk and speed underwriting. Fraud Monitor pulls fraud risk scoring and property risk data into a single dashboard within Encompass, cutting down on the need […]
Christina Harmes has the reverse mortgage bug in her blood. She previously worked with her father, Scott, at C2 Financial Corp., one of the nation’s largest mortgage brokerages, and has been originating loans since 2011. Harmes, who’s based in Southern California, has since moved on to Barrett Financial Group, where she works as a reverse […]
Few phrases surface more often in mortgage boardrooms than “loan officer productivity.” Leaders understandably want more loans per originator, more dollar volume per head and greater efficiency across the sales force. The metric feels clean and controllable, offering a simple way to measure performance and signal accountability. Gradually, that focus can harden into the assumption […]
Rocket Mortgage and Rocket Pro provided additional details this week on their rollout of VantageScore 4.0 in mortgage lending after officially announcing last week that they have started using VantageScore 4.0 alongside Classic FICO scores. Heather Lovier, chief operating officer of Rocket Companies, told HousingWire that VantageScore 4.0 can currently be used for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and […]
Scotiabank has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Maple Financial Holdings Inc., a deal that will support its U.S. mortgage capital markets business, the bank announced Friday. Financial terms were not disclosed. Maple Financial is the parent company of MapleMark Bank, a U.S. commercial bank with operations primarily in Dallas. “Our acquisition of MapleMark Bank […]
Serious delinquencies (90 days or more past due) for credit cards and auto loans are at peak levels not seen since the Great Financial Crisis, with the savings rate dropping to a low point for 2026. Will this result in a return to 2008 conditions for the housing industry? Many lifelong doomers have showcased the […]
Housing is generally considered affordable when it consumes no more than 30% of a household’s gross income, but for many buyers, especially first-timers, saving enough cash for a down payment remains the biggest barrier. That’s according to a new analysis by Down Payment Resource (DPR) in partnership with the Urban Institute. They dug into Home […]
I’d like to tell you about someone who did everything right. She built a wedding photography business from the ground up. What started as a side hustle became a full-time operation, then a team, then something that could support not just her, but her entire family. Her income wasn’t inconsistent, but it was complex, with […]
Retirement savers continued to build momentum in early 2026, even as markets fluctuated, according to the latest quarterly analysis from Fidelity Investments. The firm reported that total savings rates reached record levels in the first quarter. Combined employer and employee contributions for 401(k) savers hit 14.4%, approaching Fidelity’s suggested 15% target. For 403(b) participants, the […]
A new study from the Urban Institute concludes that the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) could offer zero-down payment mortgages to first-time homebuyers without significantly increasing default risk or endangering its insurance fund. “Allowing zero-down payment mortgages would level the playing field for potential homeowners without family wealth,” the researchers wrote in the report. “Moreover, FHA zero-down payment loans would […]
Reverse mortgage lender Longbridge Financial is partnering with mortgage technology firm Friday Harbor to implement an artificial intelligence-powered pre-underwriting platform aimed at identifying issues earlier in the origination process. In an interview with HousingWire‘s Reverse Mortgage Daily (RMD), executives from both companies described the arrangement as a strategic partnership focused on modernizing reverse mortgage workflows […]
Bank of America said Thursday that it will continue its Community Homeownership Commitment program after surpassing its original goal of delivering $15 billion in affordable home loans and grants. The program, launched in 2019, has provided more than $15 billion in affordable home loans. This total includes more than $600 million in down payment and […]
A coalition of fair housing and economic advocacy groups sued the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and acting director Russell Vought on Wednesday, seeking to block a Trump administration-backed rule they say would weaken longstanding protections against lending discrimination. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, D.C., challenges changes made last month by the […]
Wells Fargo has reached an agreement with construction technology company ICON to serve as the preferred lender for its new 3D-printed residential properties. As part of the partnership, the bank will offer a 50 basis-point interest rate incentive to borrowers. “The housing market is looking for new ways to increase supply and improve affordability, and this technology is […]
LadderUp Housing announced on Thursday that it received an investment from the Richard King Mellon Foundation to expand its rent-to-homeownership model into Allegheny and Westmoreland counties in Pennsylvania. The company said the funding will support the acquisition and renovation of homes aimed at helping low- to moderate-income families transition from renting to owning through financial […]
The conversation around artificial intelligence has reached a tipping point. For many professionals, the barrier is no longer skepticism. It’s saturation. AI is everywhere. Headlines, product demos, internal meetings and daily workflows. And yet, despite constant exposure, a large number of people remain stuck in the same place: aware of its potential, but unsure how […]
High rates and low inventories have beleaguered homebuyers for far too long. At a time when they should be exhilarated at the prospect of making their homeownership dreams come true, many instead feel stressed out, frustrated and uncertain as they face sticker shock, rate volatility, bidding wars, negotiations and, of course, the mortgage process itself. […]
Pennsylvania lawmakers are moving to bring home equity investment (HEI) companies under state banking oversight, with a floor vote scheduled June 1. The legislation, House Bill 2120, would subject shared appreciation agreements to similar regulations as those governing traditional lenders. The proposed action comes as a state representative accuses one company of attempting to “mislead” […]
Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. is suing mortgage lender Nationwide Mortgage Bankers (NMB) for allegedly profiting on the “goodwill and sterling reputation” associated with its name and trademarks. The lawsuit, filed May 20 in an Ohio federal court, brings accusations of federal trademark infringement, unfair competition, dilution, cybersquatting and violations of Ohio state law. Nationwide Insurance claims the actions […]
Xactus has closed the acquisition of Mortgage Credit Link (MCL) from MeridianLink, the company announced Wednesday. Terms of the deal, which is likely to catch many market participants off guard, were not disclosed. MCL operates a web-based order‑fulfillment hub for credit and verification data used by roughly 25 consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) — companies that […]
Mortgage applications decreased 8.5% from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)’s weekly mortgage applications survey for the week ending May 22. On an unadjusted basis, the index decreased 9% compared with the previous week. The refinance index slipped again, decreasing 18% from the previous week. It was 19% higher […]
A new federal Medicaid rule will place a nationwide cap of $1 million cap on home equity for older adults who seek long-term care coverage, a change advocates say could increasingly affect middle-class homeowners in expensive housing markets. The provision, included in the Budget Reconciliation Act of 2025 — otherwise known as President Donald Trump’s […]
The Mortgage Industry Standards Maintenance Organization (MISMO) on Tuesday announced the publication of a new white paper, “Fee Standardization in the Mortgage Industry,” outlining how its consumer-facing charge and fee guide can improve consistency and reduce costs tied to mortgage fee disclosures. Released in September 2025, the guide replaces inconsistent free-text fee descriptions with a […]
Lower has hired Paul Zinn as executive vice president of retail lending and divisional manager, adding a veteran mortgage executive to steer the company’s national retail expansion. Zinn will report to Craig Montgomery, Lower’s chief strategy officer and head of retail lending, the company said in an announcement last week. In the new role, Zinn […]
The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) announced last week that it will continue requiring tri-merge credit reports to maintain “prudent risk management” as it transitions to new credit scoring models. This move follows a signal in late April from U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner. Aligning with a similar shift by […]
The housing market has spent three years talking about one number: the mortgage rate. That makes sense. The mortgage rate matters. It decides the monthly payment. It decides who can buy, who can refinance, who can move and who has to wait. But the lock-in has lasted long enough that the rate is no longer […]
Like other segments of the broader housing industry, the appraisal space is rapidly evolving through consolidation, technology adoption and federal policy shifts. Reverse mortgage professionals should be mindful of these factors as they work with appraisers to close deals. Erik Morin, CEO of Miami-based Atlas VMS, a Miami-based appraisal management company (AMC) and technology platform, […]
For years, the mortgage industry wore integrations like a badge of honor. Legacy loan origination systems have hundreds of them, connecting to every vendor, service provider and data source imaginable. The more, the merrier. Sounds impressive? Look closer. Think about the incentives. For a service provider, being integrated into an LOS means easier access to […]
As states take varying approaches to regulating home equity investment (HEI) products, the industry faces an increasingly fragmented legal landscape shaped by consumer protection concerns and uncertainty over whether the products should be treated as mortgage loans. Under an HEI, homeowners receive upfront cash in exchange for a share of the home’s future value, typically […]
National mortgage banking company All Western Mortgage (AWM) announced on Thursday that HouseAmerica Financial has joined the company as it continues its national expansion. HouseAmerica Financial, based in La Cañada, California, produces about $500 million annually in mortgage volume, according to the announcement. The company is led by mortgage executive Alan Pezeshkian, who has more […]
More than 82,000 Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-backed mortgages originated in 2023 – about 17% of the total – carry at least one small subordinate lien, layering roughly $880 million of additional obligations on borrowers who already entered homeownership with thinner financial cushions, according to a new Benutech analysis. Benutech attributes most of the liens to […]
Raena Pinchuk has joined CrossCountry Mortgage (CCM) as sales manager for the Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and broader Pacific Northwest markets, the company announced on Thursday. Pinchuk moves to CCM with more than 15 years of mortgage industry experience at companies including loanDepot and Wells Fargo. In 2025, Pinchuk produced a volume of $93.30 million across […]
U.S. mortgage insurer Radian Group Inc. said Thursday that CEO Rick Thornberry plans to retire at the end of 2026 after nearly a decade of leading the company through a major strategic expansion, including its recent move into specialty insurance. The company said Mike Weinbach, former president of Mr. Cooper Group, has been named CEO-elect […]
Homeowners are facing a crisis. A crisis in property insurance. A crisis in affordability. And with hurricane season fast approaching, a growing sense of anxiety across the Southeast about what comes next. We have seen this before. Hurricanes Helene and Milton caused more than $100 billion in damage across Florida alone, according to the National […]
Americans may need roughly $2.57 million to retire comfortably by 2043, up sharply from the $1.75 million projected for 2033, according to a 2025 Goldman Sachs retirement survey. The increase reflects years of inflation that have driven up the costs of housing, health care and daily expenses. Households headed by someone 65 or older now […]
Rocket Mortgage and Rocket Pro announced Thursday that they have begun using VantageScore 4.0 alongside Classic FICO scores in the mortgage qualification process, a move the company said is aimed at expanding access to home financing. Rocket’s crosstown rival, United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) began allowing its brokers to access both FICO and VantageScore credit scoring models for conventional loans […]
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) could finalize changes to its Regulation X servicing rules while creating a regulatory pathway for streamlined refinances through the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) by the end of this year, mortgage industry sources told HousingWire. Meanwhile, prospects for changes to the loan originator compensation rule (LO Comp Rule) — particularly revisions […]
Mortgage vendors are entering a new phase of consolidation as they respond to rising regulatory and cybersecurity pressures, according to a white paper released this week by investment banking firm Houlihan Lokey. Scale is also becoming a decisive advantage for companies that sell mortgage technology and services, a trend that follows a mergers-and-acquisition wave among […]
Southern Land Company has launched an in-house mortgage division, SLC Lending, as the Nashville-based developer looks to tighten control of the homebuying process across its master-planned and single-family communities. The move, announced by the company, extends Southern Land’s vertically integrated model beyond land planning, development, construction and property management into mortgage origination. It comes as […]
NEXA Lending announced Thursday that it has entered into a strategic investment and phased acquisition agreement with Copper Ridge Ventures, cementing a growth and scaling strategy for both companies. Copper Ridge is a mortgage joint venture holding company founded by Tim Owens, a longtime industry executive with past tenures at loanDepot, CrossCountry Mortgage and Cardinal […]
Mortgage lenders are getting creative to combat the housing affordability crisis fueled by rising interest rates, rolling out novel products and blending existing options to keep borrowers in the market. Bayview Asset Management — which closed its acquisition of Guild Mortgage in November — rolled out a new program on Monday. Partnering with real estate […]
Mortgage lenders are currently wrestling with a high-stakes puzzle: how to accurately compare the new credit score models hitting the market. The differences are significant and carry major implications for risk assessment, loan pricing and secondary market returns. In late April, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) rolled out a program allowing the exclusive use […]
MortgageOne TPO, a wholesale mortgage lender and Department of the Treasury-certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), has integrated with the ARIVE platform and launched Pathway, a flagship CDFI loan program aimed at borrowers underserved by traditional mortgage guidelines, the company announced. The dual rollout is being led by MortgageOne TPO managing directors Rich Phillips and […]
A federal judge has granted final approval to a $110 million shareholder derivative settlement resolving claims that Wells Fargo directors and senior executives failed to properly oversee the bank’s mortgage lending practices. The final approval, announced May 15, paves the way for expanded mortgage assistance programs for low- and moderate-income borrowers in more than 50 […]
Mortgage applications fell last week as rising Treasury yields pushed mortgage rates to their highest level in nearly two months, dampening demand for home purchases, according to data released Wednesday by the Mortgage Bankers Association. Total application volume decreased 2.3% on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week ending May 15. On an unadjusted basis, […]