When it comes to real estate, the best outcomes rarely happen by chance. The buyers who succeed are usually the ones who prepare early, long before they walk into their first showing. Preparation starts with understanding what a lender is willing to offer, and that can take one of two paths: a simple pre-qualification or […]
Cost optimization is key to creating success in the world of mortgage servicing. Mortgage servicers have dedicated significant resources in pursuit of optimized processes and prices, as every fraction of the cent saved contributes to the bottom line. Servicers are laser-focused on enhancing throughput efficiency, applying advanced technology to automate and streamline every step from […]
Borrowers rushed to refinance in August as mortgage rates eased, pushing rate-and-term refi lock volume up 70% from July, according to Optimal Blue’s Mortgage Market Advantage report released Wednesday. “Borrowers are responding quickly to rate improvements, driving the strongest month for rate-and-term refinances we’ve seen this year,” Mike Vough, head of corporate strategy at Optimal […]
Mortgage lending fintech LitFinancial announced on Wednesday the launch of litUSD, a U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin built on the Ethereum blockchain in partnership with Brale and Stably. The company said the token is designed to “modernize” mortgage lending, streamline treasury operations and increase transparency in mortgage finance. It also complies with the federal GENIUS Act, a […]
California-headquartered mortgage technology firm DocMagic on Wednesday announced the launch of DocMagic One, an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered platform that aims to make the loan manufacturing process more efficient. DocMagic One is designed to improve coordination between various parties in the mortgage process by allowing document preparation, compliance checks and other tasks to occur in a […]
National reverse mortgage lender Traditional Mortgage Acceptance Corp. (TMAC) recently announced the promotion of Chase Kinder to vice president of its wholesale division. Kinder, who previously served as a senior account executive and started at the company in late 2023, was instrumental in expanding the wholesale footprint at TMAC — dba Goodlife Home Loans — […]
UWM Holdings Corporation has closed the issuance of $1 billion in senior notes, an oversubscribed transaction that comes just two months before the maturity of its existing notes. The company initially planned to issue $600 million. Proceeds, due November 15, will be used to repay $800 million in senior notes that carry a 5.5% coupon, […]
As the home equity market continues to heat up, Better Home & Finance Holding Co. announced on Wednesday that its home equity line of credit (HELOC) product has collectively helped customers pay off more than $193 million in debt. Better said that its HELOC product has enabled nearly 50% of borrowers to consolidate debt —primarily […]
The number of consumers whose rent payments are reported to credit reporting agencies rose to 13% in 2025, according to TransUnion‘s latest Rent Payment Reporting analysis, released on Wednesday. That number is up from 11% in 2024. In a press release, the company suggested that this trend may gain momentum after the July 2025 directive […]
Lower mortgage rates prompted mortgage applications to increase 9.2% from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)’s weekly mortgage applications survey for the week ending Sept. 5. Last week’s results include an adjustment for the Labor Day holiday. On an unadjusted basis, the index decreased 3% compared with the previous […]
A federal judge blocked President Donald Trump’s effort to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, granting Cook’s request for a preliminary injunction on Tuesday evening. In her ruling, Judge Jia Cobb said that Trump’s reasons for removing Cook did not meet the standard for sufficient cause, noting the alleged conduct occurred before her tenure as […]
Fintech Aven has raised $110 million in a Series E funding round, expanded into mortgage refinancing and added heavyweight advisers Lawrence Summers and Patrick McHenry to its board, the company announced Tuesday. The San Francisco-based fintech, best known for its home equity-backed credit card, is now valued at $2.2 billion following the round led by Khosla […]
Figure Technology Solutions, Inc. announced on Tuesday that it has upsized its initial public offering by 5.2 million additional shares. Originally, the company planned to offer 26.3 million (26,315,789) shares of Class A common stock to the public. Now, they’ve increased that number to 31.5 million shares, of which 26,645,296 shares are being offered by […]
Wire fraud prevention firm CertifID is looking to further prevent fraud by streamlining the mortgage payoff ordering process. The firm announced that it is rolling out a mortgage payoff ordering solution on Tuesday. The solution enables title professionals to order mortgage payoffs with just one click. The solution is fully autonomous and enables title professionals […]
Longbridge Financial has officially launched a home equity line of credit (HELOC) program that’s designed for homeowners ages 62 and older, offering approval and funding in as little as five business days. The move marks an expansion beyond the company’s core reverse mortgage business while staying focused on older borrowers. This demographic collectively holds nearly […]
Homeowners are spending a growing share of their mortgage payments on property insurance, which is now rising faster than principal, interest and taxes, according to the September ICE Mortgage Monitor. Data shows that annual property insurance payments for single-family mortgage holders now average nearly $2,370. That amounts to 9.6% of monthly mortgage-related expenses, the highest […]
Mortgage rates at their lowest levels in nearly a year are driving a wave of refinance opportunities for lenders ahead of the Federal Reserve’s expected rate cut next week. The shift is encouraging more borrowers to leave the sidelines, with small rate moves already triggering meaningful activity. “Refinance businesses increased significantly from the first quarter, […]
Assurant Inc. on Monday announced the launch of HOIVerify Origination, an API-enabled solution that streamlines and automates insurance verification during the mortgage origination process. “Assurant’s HOIVerify product suite modernizes the complex mortgage loan process,” Greg Tuttle, senior vice president of Assurant Lending Solutions, said in a statement. “HOIVerify Origination is a proprietary platform that automates […]
Homeowners are currently sitting on an unprecedented amount of equity, resulting in higher demand for home equity loans and lines of credit. And with interest rates expected to decline, refinancing and even new home purchases are on the rise. For lenders, retaining existing customers can be just as important as acquiring new ones. However, in […]
President Donald Trump on Friday signed the Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act (H.R. 2808), establishing a nationwide ban on the abusive use of trigger leads beginning in March 2026. The legislation had broad mortgage industry support. It cleared the House in June and the Senate by unanimous consent in August, with bipartisan sponsorship from Reps. John […]
A growing number of U.S. housing markets face elevated risks from high foreclosure rates, underwater mortgages and rising costs, according to a new report. ATTOM analyzed 579 counties nationwide for its second-quarter Housing Risk Report — with ranking criteria including affordability, foreclosure activity, mortgage equity and unemployment. California and Florida counties were heavily represented among […]
A coalition of 46 independent mortgage banks (IMBs) is calling for guarantee-fee parity and a competitive cash window in a letter sent Friday to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte. The push comes as the Trump administration signals plans to move forward with a stock offering for […]
In an interview on Thursday with CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte addressed the “for cause” definition tied to the attempted firing of Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook while rejecting the notion that his crusade against mortgage occupancy fraud was “political weaponization.” “I do believe there is a very strong cause,” […]
Last month, Texas-based Finance of America (FOA) announced that it would be offering a dual listing of its common stock on the newly created NYSE Texas, which is headquartered in Dallas. As a result, FOA — a leading reverse mortgage lender — is among the handful of founding members that also include Intercontinental Exchange and […]
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on Thursday issued a public request for information on noncompete agreements as it seeks to identify practices it considers “unfair” and “anticompetitive,” a topic that has drawn attention across the mortgage and real estate industries. Under the Trump administration, the FTC said it will take a case-by-case approach rather than […]
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has revised residency requirements for the Section 184 Indian Housing Loan Guarantee program to exclude non-permanent resident aliens. “This update aligns HUD’s requirements with recent executive actions that emphasize the prioritization of federal resources to protect the financial interests of American citizens and ensure the integrity […]
DossDocs on Thursday announced the launch of Seller Financing Docs, a product aimed at homeowners locked into low mortgage rates who have delayed a home sale rather than trading in their low rate for a higher one on their next home. The product allows sellers to transfer their low-rate mortgage, often in the range of […]
NEO Home Loans powered by Better announced on Thursday that the Gustafson Team, a top-producing group that closed 303 loans totaling more than $110 million in 2024, has joined the company. Led by Gene Gustafson, the Fort Collins, Colorado-based team spent the past 15 years at loanDepot. The team will play a key role in […]
Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook is under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) over allegations that she misrepresented the occupancy of three properties to obtain more favorable mortgage terms. The DOJ has issued subpoenas seeking information related to mortgage fraud claims, according to officials cited by The Wall Street Journal. The investigation originated […]
Rithm Capital Corp., parent company of multichannel lender Newrez, has struck a deal to acquire alternative investment manager Crestline Management, a move that adds $17 billion in assets under management and expands its reach into direct lending, fund liquidity solutions, insurance and reinsurance. The acquisition, announced on Thursday, follows Rithm’s second-quarter earnings call, when Rithm […]
Insellerate, a software and technology company that offers a customer relationship management (CRM) platform for the residential mortgage, debt settlement, insurance and tax industries, announced on Thursday that Christopher Meerschaert has been appointed as its new director of customer service. With more than two decades of experience — including leadership roles at Citi, Growth Works […]
ICE Mortgage Technology is building the future of housing finance with an integrated solution suite powered by automation, advanced data, and AI. By evolving its Encompass platform with modern APIs and fostering a collaborative partner network, the company is simplifying the entire mortgage process, assisting lenders and servicers to deliver an exceptional borrower experience. Spearheading […]
Mortgage lender Click n’ Close has rolled out a new financing product that pairs an adjustable-rate mortgage with down payment assistance in an effort to make new homes more accessible to buyers. The program — called the SmartBuy 5/1 ARM Down Payment Assistance product — offers a first mortgage alongside a repayable second mortgage. The […]
Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) endorsements fell sharply in August, even as a handful of reverse mortgage lenders continued to dominate the market. The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) insured 2,062 HECMs in August, according to data compiled by New View Advisors that was released on Wednesday. That marked a 13% decline from July and the […]
Mat Ishbia, president and CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM), weighed in this week on recent moves by President Donald Trump and Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte involving the Federal Reserve and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Ishbia’s remarks, shared in a video released Tuesday, follow Trump’s Aug. 25 attempt to […]
NEXA Mortgage on Wednesday announced the appointment of Geri Farr as its chief growth officer, effective immediately. Farr most recently served as senior vice president of West retail sales at Kind Lending, and she previously held leadership roles at Bay Equity. “The future is here. NEXA has built something unique — wholesale-level pricing and productoptionality, […]
PennyMac Financial Services Inc. on Wednesday announced that its Correspondent Group will launch a new suite of nonqualified mortgage (non-QM) products on Sept. 22. The new suite offers four product types: debt service coverage ratio (DSCR) loans, along with A+, A and A- credit grades, which are distinguished by a borrower’s housing payment history. Each […]
Despite a drop in mortgage rates last week, mortgage applications decreased 1.2% from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) weekly mortgage applications survey for the week ending Aug. 29, 2025. On an unadjusted basis, the index decreased 3% compared with last week. “Mortgage rates declined last week, with the […]
The mortgage industry is at a crossroads. As digital transformation accelerates across financial services, borrowers expect faster, more transparent experiences—yet title and closing remain stubbornly manual, fragmented, and slow. For lenders, this disconnect is more than inconvenient; it’s costly. Lengthy cycle times, delayed closings, and inconsistent data flow erode profitability and borrower trust. Mortgage Connect is […]
A new report suggests that counting the value of employer-sponsored health insurance (ESI) toward taxable wages could generate about $400 more in annual payroll taxes per worker, shrinking Social Security’s long-term funding gap by roughly 25% in 75 years. The report published Tuesday by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College concludes that the […]
HousingWire today announced the winners of the annual Vanguards award, celebrating its 11th year of recognizing the housing industry’s most influential executives. This year, 100 leaders across mortgage, real estate, and tech have been named to the prestigious list, underscoring their exceptional leadership and impact on the housing economy. “The 2025 HousingWire Vanguards exemplify what […]
Figure Technology Solutions, Inc. on Tuesday announced the launch of its initial public offering (IPO) of 26.3 million shares of Class A common stock in a bid to raise $526 million. The news follows reports in July that the company was preparing to go public in the fall. The IPO news is a win for […]
MegaStar Financial Services announced on Tuesday the appointment of Mickey Schilling, CMB, as its new Chief Revenue Officer. With over 25 years in the mortgage industry, Schilling’s new role will involve driving production, overseeing revenue initiatives and leading the firm’s strategic push into new markets. “Mickey brings a rare blend of strength, leadership, and care,” […]
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: The new smart home technology that’s helping seniors age in place With seniors now outnumbering children in many U.S. states, demand is growing for aging-in-place technology. Dr. Jing […]
A long-awaited crackdown on trigger leads is on its way to President Donald Trump’s desk, but not everyone in the mortgage world is celebrating. Nestled in the bill is a provision that’s leading professionals to raise doubts about whether the measure is a consumer safeguard or a competition killer. “The act will require consumers to […]