Cotality reported a slight increase in mortgage application fraud risk in the fourth quarter of 2025, driven largely by higher activity across the investment and multifamily lending spaces. The company’s National Mortgage Application Fraud Risk Index, released Thursday, rose to a reading of 133 in the fourth quarter, up from the prior quarter and 1.5% […]
National mortgage lender HighTechLending has hired Gina Donaldson and David Yslas as account executives from First Tech Federal Credit Union to grow its home equity line of credit (HELOC) platform. Donaldson and Yslas bring extensive experience in home equity and nonqualified mortgage (non-QM0 lending. They will focus on expanding EquitySelect, a home equity product designed […]
Fintech platform Foyer on Thursday announced a national partnership with Prosperity Home Mortgage that aims to support consumers earlier in the homebuying process — particularly those saving for a down payment. Under the partnership, Prosperity Home Mortgage, a full-service mortgage lender, will make Foyer’s homebuyer preparation tools available to prospective borrowers as an added resource. […]
For more than 25 years, I’ve heard loan officers complain that their rates aren’t competitive. One of the first questions rate shoppers ask is, “What’s your rate today?” For far too long, the industry’s focus has been on rate—not on what is truly the best financial decision for the borrower. Many salespeople sell rate because […]
Three Georgia state representatives have introduced legislation aimed at stripping homeowners associations (HOAs) of their ability to foreclose on homes while and giving residents a direct vote on whether to dissolve their associations. State Reps. Sandra Scott, Viola Davis and Kim Schofield introduced the two bills in late January. Each are now moving through House […]
Out-of-pocket health care costs continue to take a sizable bite out of retirees’ finances — even as Medicare coverage expands and recent policy changes aim to reduce drug costs, according to a new brief published by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. Using data from the 2018-2022 versions of its Health and Retirement […]
Terry Schmidt believes she surprised the mortgage industry. Schmidt, the director and CEO of Guild Mortgage Co., was referring to the June 2025 announcement that the company would be acquired by Bayview Asset Management. The transaction officially closed in November. “Many found that this was very surprising because we’ve been independent for so long,” Schmidt […]
New York-based Atlas Real Estate Partners this week announced the launch of A4 Credit Partners, a small-balance mortgage lending platform targeting credit opportunities within the residential transition loan (RTL) market. As part of the launch, A4 Credit Partners is seeking to raise $150 million to originate a variety of first-lien mortgages. It will primarily focus […]
Mortgage applications decreased 8.9% from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)’s weekly mortgage applications survey for the week ending Jan. 30. Last week’s results included an adjustment for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. On an unadjusted basis, the index increased 4% compared with the previous week. The seasonally […]
The single-family rental (SFR) market has evolved from an opportunistic trade into a durable, professionally managed segment of the U.S. housing ecosystem, shaped by affordability pressures, capital constraints, and the need for new supply. Few leaders have had a closer view of that evolution than Tim Reilly, Executive Vice President, Radian Real Estate Management LLC, […]
Bed Bath & Beyond’s parent company has reached an agreement to acquire Tokens.com as part of its plan to launch an investment and personal finance platform, which will also offer home loans through a partnership with Figure Technologies. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The holding company owns Bed Bath & Beyond, Overstock […]
Despite some key economic and policy announcements in the past week, mortgage rates have remained stable, which could alleviate homebuyer and seller concerns as the spring housing market approaches. Mortgage News Daily (MND) reported Tuesday that 30-year fixed rates averaged 6.20%, up 5 basis points in the past week. MND rates are based on best-execution […]
Union Home Mortgage (UHM) on Tuesday announced that George Dover is taking on the role of vice president of manufactured and new construction lending. Dover joins the company after 30 years in the mortgage industry, namely as Cascade Financial Services‘s president and co-founder from 1999 to 2024. He confirmed the news on his LinkedIn page […]
A national shareholder rights law firm has launched an investigation into PennyMac Financial Services Inc. over potential violations of federal securities laws. Glancy Prongay Wolke & Rotter LLP, which represents investors and consumers in securities litigation, said the probe follows PennyMac’s Jan. 29 release of fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results, which showed revenue of $538 […]
Rithm Capital Corp. reported its fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results, driven by higher earnings at its mortgage origination and servicing subsidiary, Newrez, and steady performance across its mortgage-related businesses. Rithm executives said during Tuesday morning’s earnings call that 2025 was a strong year for the company, anchored by growth in mortgage origination and servicing at […]
Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) President and CEO Bob Broeksmit took the stage at the trade group’s IMB26 Conference in Florida to say that its members and he himself have “just been gaslit by the trade association that represents the credit bureaus.” The MBA has proposed that lenders submit a single-bureau credit pull for loans sold […]
Long-term retirement accounts are increasingly serving as sources of emergency funds as American workers confront rising costs and persistent financial anxiety, according to multiple recent studies. Surveys from Allianz Life Insurance, Payroll Integrations and F&G Annuities and Life show Americans cutting back on retirement contributions and tapping savings meant for later life to cover immediate […]
Fifth Third Bancorp said Monday that it has completed its merger with Comerica, creating the ninth-largest bank in the U.S. with roughly $294 billion in assets. The combined company brings together Fifth Third’s retail banking and digital operations with Comerica’s middle-market banking business. Fifth Third said the merger is intended to strengthen the bank’s scale, […]
Better Home & Finance Holding Co. announced Monday that it has named Loveen Advani as its chief financial officer, effective immediately. The New York-based company said Advani will oversee its financial strategy as the company enters its next phase of growth. “Loveen is a seasoned strategic and operational finance leader with a strong track record […]
Radian Group Inc. said on Monday that it has completed its acquisition of Inigo Limited, a specialty insurance group underwriting through Lloyd’s of London. Philadelphia-based Radian said the deal positions it to become a “global, diversified multi-line specialty insurer,” expanding beyond its U.S. private mortgage insurance business into global specialty insurance lines. Inigo will operate […]
Rithm Capital Corp., the parent company of multichannel mortgage lender Newrez, said Monday that it’s deepening its partnership with Valon Technologies, a mortgage servicing technology firm, as one of its subsidiaries prepares to deploy Valon’s operating system across millions of loans. Rithm, an early investor in Valon, will use Valon’s AI-native mortgage servicing platform, ValonOS, […]
A new WalletHub study compares all 50 states to identify where retirees may find the most favorable balance of affordability and quality of life — with Wyoming taking the top spot. The analysis highlights wide disparities between states, with some offering budgets that stretch much further than others. Following closely behind Wyoming were Florida, South […]
State regulators and consumer advocates are pushing back against two proposals from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) that would expand banks’ authority over escrow accounts and assert that federal law preempts state rules that govern these accounts. In a joint letter, the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) and the American […]
Mortgage lenders are seeing loan defects stabilize after several volatile years, but shifts in interest rates and loan volumes continue to expose weaknesses in quality control (QC), according to ACES Quality Management CEO Trevor Gauthier and chief operating officer Phil McCall. In an interview with HousingWire, Gauthier and McCall highlighted staffing cuts, refinance surges and […]
At first glance, Kevin Warsh’s nomination as the next Federal Reserve chair could be interpreted as a signal that benchmark interest rates may fall — potentially offering some relief on housing affordability as President Donald Trump and his administration have repeatedly pressured Jerome Powell and other Fed officials to move in that direction. Housing industry […]
President Donald Trump announced on Thursday evening that he will name his choice for the next Federal Reserve chair on Friday morning. At publication time, prediction sites Polymarket and Kalshi had Kevin Warsh as the frontrunner, putting his odds of being chosen at more than 85%, which sent the 10-year yield higher. CNBC reported that […]
PennyMac Financial Services reported its full-year and fourth-quarter 2025 earnings on Thursday, telling investors and analysts that higher mortgage production helped offset pressure on servicing income from increased prepayment activity. The California-based company posted a solid quarter and a strong 2025, but its growth in loan production is doing the heavy lifting. Servicing profitability is […]
The class-action lawsuit filed this week against Rocket Companies and its subsidiaries, which alleges violations of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), has drawn heightened attention from the mortgage industry as a wave of mergers and acquisitions accelerates the push toward vertically integrated business models. Legal experts have described the case as “unique,” saying […]
Paul Fiore enjoys taking on new challenges, something he’s done before during a lengthy stint at American Advisors Group (AAG) and pit stops at Finance of America and Smartfi Home Loans. Fiore’s reverse mortgage industry journey took another turn recently after he joined California-headquartered HighTechLending (HTL) as its vice president of sales and branch production. […]
A group of consumer and legal advocates is accusing major reverse mortgage companies of illegally overcharging senior homeowners. Attorneys for the AARP Foundation, Tusa P.C., and Giskan, Solotaroff & Anderson LLP filed a class-action lawsuit on Jan. 16 and publicly announced it Thursday. They allege that several major reverse mortgage servicers unlawfully charged prohibited fees […]
Homebuyer affordability improved slightly in December as mortgage payments declined and household earnings continued to grow, according to data released Thursday by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). The national median mortgage payment for purchase applicants fell to $2,025 in December, down from $2,034 in November, based on MBA’s Purchase Applications Payment Index (PAPI), which tracks […]
Reports before Davos suggested that President Trump would announce an initiative to spur homeownership by allowing individuals to withdraw funds from their 401(k) accounts to make a down payment on a home purchase without incurring a10% early withdrawal penalty. Davos has come and gone, and we are now hearing reports that the President is “not […]
Foreclosure auction volume in the fourth quarter of 2025 rose 48% from a year ago, reaching the highest level since the second quarter of 2020, according to Auction.com‘s Q4 2025 Auction Market Dispatch report. Volume remained 39% below the level seen in Q1 2020, just before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and its subsequent […]
A new study commissioned by Equitable and conducted by The Wall Street Journal’s Intelligence Unit examines how Gen X is approaching investing and retirement planning. The research is based on a survey of 500 retail investors — primarily Gen X — with millennials and pre-retiree baby boomers included for comparison. Gen X includes more than […]
Cardinal Financial‘s third-party origination division announced Wednesday the launch of its nondelegated correspondent program that targets independent mortgage lenders. The program allows approved nondelegated correspondents to originate loans in their own name while using Cardinal Financial’s loan technology platform, Octane, which provides underwriting, pricing and other operational functions. “In a competitive market, lenders need to […]
Planet Home Lending, a national mortgage lender and servicer, has expanded its retail operations in the western U.S. with the addition of Kris Kehl as a senior loan officer in California. Kehl, who brings more than 20 years of experience to the role, will focus on serving homebuyers and real estate agents as part of […]
Mortgage applications decreased 8.5% from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) weekly mortgage applications survey for the week ending Jan. 23, 2026. On an unadjusted basis, the index decreased 16% compared with the previous week. MBA noted that the results include an adjustment for the Martin Luther King Jr. […]
As we kick off the New Year, affordability remains one of the biggest challenges facing the mortgage industry and the broader housing market. It continues to shape conversations among lenders, policymakers, and consumers alike. Affordability is not a rate problem Ask most people what’s wrong with housing affordability, and the answer comes quickly: rates are […]
On the back of stronger estimated financial earnings, Onity Group — the parent company of PHH Mortgage Corp. and Liberty Reverse Mortgage — raised $200 million through a debt offering to qualified investors on Monday, exceeding its initial target of $150 million. The offering came amid the release of preliminary fourth-quarter 2025 financial results, with […]
Brian Brown, chief financial officer and treasurer for Rocket Companies, expects continued improvement in the mortgage market in 2026, building on momentum that emerged in the second half of 2025. “If you look at the mortgage forecasts, it depends on which one you choose, but they’re up anywhere from 8% to 25% based on the […]
Mortgage servicing technology provider Vertyx on Tuesday announced the release of a new Borrower Relationship Management capability that aims to help servicers and investors identify borrower retention and recapture opportunities earlier in the loan life cycle. The new feature is part of Vertyx’s end-to-end mortgage servicing platform, which is designed to help institutions monitor portfolio […]
The Federal Reserve is set to wrap up what’s expected to be an uneventful two-day meeting on Wednesday. Mortgage rates remain in the low-6% range and aren’t likely to swing one way or the other as policymakers should keep benchmark rates unchanged. Mortgage News Daily reported Monday that 30-year fixed rates averaged 6.17%, down 4 […]
Rocket Companies and Redfin on Tuesday released a teaser for their upcoming Super Bowl LX commercial, featuring Lady Gaga performing “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”, the theme song from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. The ad will mark Redfin’s first appearance in a Super Bowl broadcast since the company’s founding 20 years ago, Rocket said in its […]
Better Home & Finance Holding Company (Better) announced on Tuesday via an 8-K filing that it has amended and renewed a $175 million warehouse credit facility with a global banking institution, a move the digital mortgage lender said strengthens liquidity and improves financing terms. The amended facility includes reduced cash deposit requirements, expanded leverage capacity […]
National mortgage lender HighTechLending has launched a second-lien version of a home equity product designed to function more like a credit card, the company announced Tuesday. The product, called EquitySelect, debuted in September as a first-lien home equity loan that allows borrowers to set monthly payments as low as 1% of their annualized loan balance, […]