Mortgage applications for new homes dipped in September from the previous month but remained higher than last year’s levels, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)’s Builder Application Survey released Thursday. The data offers a snapshot of housing demand at a time when market watchers are seeking clues about new-home sales amid the federal government […]
White House Budget Director Russell Vought said Wednesday that he intends to shut down the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), contradicting previous statements by the Trump administration that it would not close the bureau. It’s also not clear Vought has the authority to shut down an agency established by Congress. Speaking on The Charlie Kirk […]
Let’s talk seller impersonation fraud. While this scam has been nationwide for a few years now, it is likely to become more prevalent as we head into 2026. So, how does it work, and what should everyone in real estate know about it? It starts with a phone call or an email. A “seller” wants […]
New American Funding (NAF) on Wednesday named Nathan Ballentine as its new regional vice president for South Carolina. In this role, Ballentine will lead growth and development across the state, spearheading market expansion and sales initiatives. With more than 25 years of experience in the mortgage industry, Ballentine will focus on recruiting and onboarding top-performing […]
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC on Wednesday that he’ll soon be giving President Donald Trump several candidates to serve as the next chair of the Federal Reserve. “Likely sometime after Thanksgiving, in December, we’ll present the president with three or four candidates for him to interview,” Bessent told CNBC’s Sara Eisen. Bessent disclosed that he’s trimmed the […]
Phoenix Suns majority owner Mat Ishbia — who is also the president and CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) — has filed a countersuit against minority owners Scott Seldin and Andy Kohlberg, accusing them of trying to force him to buy their shares “at an exorbitant premium.” The countersuit, filed Tuesday in Delaware state court, follows an […]
Archwest Capital, a private lender to residential real estate investors, reported Wednesday that it closed its first rated securitization backed by $300 million in residential transition loans (RTLs). The transaction was oversubscribed by nearly five times, signaling strong investor appetite for business-purpose RTLs. “As we continue expanding our lending footprint nationwide, securitizations like these enhance […]
Reverse mortgage industry executives see a growing role for proprietary products despite persistent challenges in the secondary market. But they also agree on one thing — the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) and its related mortgage-backed securities (HMBS) programs remain critical pillars of the business. Their comments came during the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association […]
Blend Labs Inc. on Wednesday introduced Intelligent Origination, an AI-driven system designed to streamline the lending process by embedding automation and analytics throughout its digital origination platform. The company said the system integrates artificial intelligence into each stage of origination to interpret data and documents, perform complex tasks autonomously and learn from outcomes. Each feature […]
Plaid on Wednesday introduced LendScore, a new credit risk model that uses real-time cash flow data and account connection insights to give mortgage lenders a more complete view of a borrower’s financial situation. The launch comes amid significant shifts in consumer borrowing behavior and credit scoring. Plaid pointed to a recent TransUnion study, which found […]
loanDepot is accusing West Capital Lending (WCL) of hiring hundreds of loan originators as independent contractors and paying them revenue splits — practices that loanDepot claims are illegal and enabled WCL to become one of the largest mortgage brokerages in the country in just three years. The lender sued the brokerage and its founders, Eric […]
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 […]