Bill Pulte said this week that the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) may allow Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to offer assumable or portable mortgages — part of ongoing discussions inside the Trump administration on ways to address housing affordability. “At Fannie and Freddie, we are evaluating how to do assumable or portable mortgages, in […]
As the White House and federal housing officials float backing 50-year fixed-rate mortgages as a potential tool to ease U.S. housing affordability, the proposal has drawn quick praise from some quarters and sharp criticism from housing economists and industry groups. The idea surfaced publicly this month when President Donald Trump shared an image on Truth […]
Fannie Mae officials who were recently removed from their positions were investigating whether Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte improperly obtained mortgage records of Democratic officials, including New York Attorney General Letitia James, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. Fannie Mae’s ethics and investigations team had received internal complaints that senior officials […]
Defined contribution plans such as 401(k)s and 403(b)s form the vast majority of retirement accounts in the U.S., and a report released Wednesday by Vanguard aims to help consumers, plan sponsors and consultants make better decisions when structuring them. Vanguard’s inaugural How America Retires report analyzed internal company data on retirement plans and industry trends […]
CIC Credit, a provider of verification and credit services for the mortgage industry, said on Tuesday that it will participate in the FICO Mortgage Direct License Program, a new initiative from analytics firm Fair Isaac Corp. (FICO) aimed at streamlining access to credit scores. The program allows CIC to calculate and distribute FICO Scores directly […]
Cornerstone Financing, creator of CHEIFS (Cornerstone Home Equity Insurance/Investment Funding Solutions), on Wednesday announced the launch of Prime HEI. The wholesale program allows mortgage brokers to offer homeowners access to home equity without debt, monthly payments or interest. CHEIFS, which is Cornerstone’s prime, non-debt home equity funding solution, was originally built for financial advisors to […]
Mortgage applications increased 0.6% from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) weekly mortgage applications survey for the week ending November 7, 2025. On an unadjusted basis, the index decreased 1% compared with the previous week. The seasonally adjusted purchase index increased 6% from one week earlier. The unadjusted purchase […]
Taking an advisory-style approach over a volume-focused approach is working in the favor of mortgage lenders, according to the J.D. Power 2025 U.S. Mortgage Origination Satisfaction Study released on Wednesday. Overall customer satisfaction with mortgage lenders rose sharply to 760 on a 1,000-point scale, up 33 points from last year’s score of 727, the study […]
NEXA Lending, formerly known as NEXA Mortgage, is accusing several former NEXA loan officers, managers and former president Mat Grella of executing a coordinated “employee raid” to harm its business. The suit, which was filed on Nov. 5 in Arizona’s Maricopa County Superior Court, claims that Grella, former branch manager Gregory Nichols and Michigan-based Platinum […]
A lawsuit filed earlier this year by the state of Massachusetts against home equity investment (HEI) provider Hometap is being allowed to proceed after a ruling in August by a Suffolk County Superior Court judge. And the parties made new filings in court last week as they attempt to convince the court of the merits […]
A report released Monday by Capital Group found large disparities between various generations of entrepreneurs and the retirement options available to them. The Small Business America report — based on an April 2025 survey of 1,000 small-business owners regarding their outlook and readiness to offer retirement benefits — found that overall business optimism is high […]
A growing share of U.S. homebuyers are using Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) loans as the housing market leans in favor of buyers. Nationwide, 7.3% of mortgaged homebuyers used a VA loan in August, up from 6.5% a year earlier — the highest level for that month since 2019, according to a report from Redfin. […]
Each year on Veterans Day, I take a moment to think about the Americans I served alongside – their courage, their families, and the quiet sacrifices that never make headlines. It’s a day to remember those who sacrificed and to honor those still building their lives after service. For many of us, that next chapter […]
bevri.ai, a technology firm focused on applying artificial intelligence to the mortgage industry’s third-party origination (TPO) channel, announced on Monday that it has appointed Jonathon Haddad as CEO. The agentic AI company said in a press release that Haddad’s appointment marks a new phase in its efforts to expand end-to-end automation for brokers and non-delegated […]
The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)’s monthly Mortgage Credit Availability Index (MCAI) increased in October by 2.3% to a reading of 106.8. An increase in the MCAI, which relies on ICE Mortgage Technology data, is indicative of loosening credit. The index was benchmarked to 100 in March 2012. Conversely, a decline in the MCAI indicates that lending standards are tightening. […]
Zillow’s mortgage business has grown rapidly over the past few years, posting a 57% annual increase in loan origination volume, which rose to $2.3 billion, in Q3 2025. While Zillow maintains that this growth is purely organic and due to it “making it easier for more buyers to choose financing through Zillow Home Loans (ZHL),” […]
Mortgage marketing is stuck in 2008. Not because the tactics are old. We have webinars instead of lunch-and-learns, sponsored posts instead of postcards. The problem isn’t outdated tools. It’s the mindset, the fact that most of us never really learned how to market in the first place. That’s not an indictment of the people doing […]
In a social post on Saturday, President Trump floated the idea of a 50-year mortgage to boost housing affordability, but the idea got a frosty reception online. One reason is that stretching the loan term out that long ends up costing much more in interest over the life of the loan while only shaving a […]
Trump on Saturday posted an image on social that seemed to suggest he would be proposing 50-year mortgages, something FHFA Director Bill Pulte confirmed shortly after on X. The image Trump posted on Truth Social features a head shot of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt under the title 30-year mortgage, and his own head shot under […]
Title and real estate services company Stewart Information Services Corp., owned by SISCO Holdings, has entered into an agreement to acquire the mortgage services of property preservation provider Mortgage Contracting Services (MCS) for $330 million. The transaction, announced Friday, expands Stewart’s suite of services in the property preservation arena, which supports default servicing, while providing […]
Two Maryland-based retail mortgage lenders struck an M&A deal this week as NFM Lending has agreed to acquire Homespire Mortgage, the companies confirmed on Friday. The financial terms were not disclosed. With the acquisition, Linthicum-based NFM will expand its presence along the East Coast, while Homespire will gain access to new growth opportunities amid a […]
Ellington Financial reported strong financial performance from its reverse mortgage subsidiary, Longbridge Financial, during its third-quarter earnings call on Thursday. Longbridge posted net income of $8.6 million from July through September — down from the $10.7 million profit it achieved in the second quarter but a continuation of a positive trend after its $1 million […]
Opendoor is teaming up with Roam, a platform that enables homebuyers to purchase homes with assumable low-rate mortgages, according to an announcement on Friday. Through this partnership, Roam’s assumable mortgage tools and transaction support will be available to homebuyers shopping for homes on Opendoor’s platform. “Opendoor completely reimagined the way that consumers buy and sell […]
Low borrower satisfaction carries significant business consequences for mortgage servicers. Dissatisfied or confused borrowers are more likely to complain to regulators, generate costly call center volume and lengthen loss-mitigation processes. J.D. Power’s 2025 U.S. Mortgage Servicer Satisfaction Study reveals a widening gap in borrower satisfaction between origination and servicing experiences. While borrowers are happier than […]
The second-lien market is entering a new growth cycle, and Deephaven is helping lead the conversation. With projections exceeding $60 billion in originations for 2025, second liens have moved from a niche product to a mainstream financing tool for both homeowners and investors. U.S. homeowners collectively hold $35 trillion in home equity, and roughly 85% […]
loanDepot reported a smaller loss in the third quarter as higher loan volumes, improved margins and increased servicing income boosted its results. Revenue for the California-based mortgage lender rose 14% from the previous quarter to $323 million, while adjusted revenue increased 11% to $325 million. Pull-through weighted gain-on-sale margins rose 9 basis points to 339 […]
Rithm Capital will no longer use Onity Group’s servicing subsidiary, PHH Mortgage Corp., as the subservicer of a $33 billion portfolio primarily composed of pre-2008 loans — ending an agreement that has lasted nearly a decade. Onity, which released its third-quarter earnings on Thursday, said it was notified by Rithm on Oct. 31 of its […]
The way that mortgage lenders assess credit risk is undergoing its biggest overhaul in decades as the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is preparing to roll out a new framework that allows lenders to use two scoring models — FICO 10T and VantageScore 4.0. FHFA Director Bill Pulte and the Trump administration have voiced support […]
United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) capitalized on the year’s lowest mortgage rates in the third quarter, closing $41.7 billion in loan origination volume, its best quarter performance since 2021. “We’ve been prepared for a rate rally for years, and the third quarter of this year is a little bit of a glimpse of what it would […]
Just hours ahead of its Q3 2025 earnings call, loanDepot announced on Thursday morning that it has hired Nikul Patel as its chief growth officer. Patel will oversee acquisition activities and customer engagement for the California-based lender. “Nikul is a significant hire who will be a transformational member of our leadership team,” said loanDepot’s founder […]
Guild Holdings Co., the parent company of Guild Mortgage, announced its Q3 2025 earnings on Wednesday afternoon, posting a net revenue of $307.4 million that compared favorably to figures of $279.4 million in Q2 2025 and $159.3 million in Q3 2024. Guild’s net income for the third quarter was $33.3 million, compared to $18.7 million in […]
Once again, the latest quarterly New York Fed Household Debt and Credit report reinforces a story I have been talking about for a long time: homeowners in America are in solid financial shape, while those who cling to the narrative of the 2008 housing crisis still require a dose of gloom therapy. Two laws that […]
Sam Bjelac “Sam’s deep knowledge of the TPO and Non-QM sectors, paired with his passion for broker partnership, makes him an invaluable addition to our leadership team,” Foundation Mortgage on Wednesday announced the hiring of Samuel Bjelac as senior vice president of national sales for third-party originations (TPO). Bjelac, who brings more than two decades […]
NewDay USA on Wednesday announced two leadership appointments to help lead the launch and expansion of the company’s new mortgage offering, NewDay Home — a program that allows veterans to purchase a home with no down payment and no money out of pocket for closing costs. Ken Harthausen has been named president of NewDay Home’s […]
Point and funds managed by Blue Owl Capital have issued a $390 million securitization of home equity investment (HEI) assets, the companies announced on Wednesday. The transaction, which closed on Oct. 28, is the third rated securitization so far this year and the sixth overall since 2015 for Point, a California-based home equity investment platform. […]
Mortgage applications decreased 1.9% from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) weekly mortgage applications survey for the week ending October 31, 2025. On an unadjusted basis, the index decreased 3% compared with the previous week. The refinance index decreased 3% from the previous week and was 151% higher than […]
Extreme weather events are now more than just an occasional disruption; they are redefining the landscape of housing finance. And, the frequency and intensity in which these events occur, combined with rising insurance and utility costs, fluctuating property values, and shifting housing rates, provide challenges for lenders looking to effectively streamline operations, mitigate risk, and […]
NEXA Lending announced another change to its C-suite on Tuesday, promoting Rana Mortensen to chief administrative officer. In her new role, Mortensen will oversee the company’s administrative operations across multiple departments — including facilities, human resources, people operations, corporate events and internal communications — while ensuring the execution of NEXA’s strategic vision. NEXA CEO Mike […]
Knock, a real estate technology company that helps homeowners buy before they sell, is launching a new loan product. On Tuesday, the company announced the debut of Knock Bridge Loan Plus. The new offering provides the same benefits as the company’s original bridge loan product. This includes its guaranteed backup offer program and the same […]
A full overhaul of the loan-level price adjustment (LLPA) matrix — the risk-based fees applied to conventional mortgages — is not currently under consideration by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). Instead, Barry Habib — the MBS Highway founder and CEO who joined Fannie Mae’s board of directors in July — said the approach has […]
Senate Democrats have introduced a bill to expand Social Security Administration (SSA) and Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) benefits by $200 per month for six months, aiming to provide economic relief amid persistently high inflation. The move follows the Oct. 24 announcement of an average cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) of 2.8% in 2026 for the 53 […]
Stockton Mortgage Corporation is suing Ixonia Bancshares (dba Novus Home Mortgage), along with 18 former employees – including manager Logan Hoffman and loan officers – alleging they “defected en masse” and breached their contractual obligations of non-solicitation and confidentiality. The lawsuit was filed on Oct. 22 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District […]
In today’s mortgage landscape, success depends not on choosing between automation and people, but on balancing both to create a stronger, more adaptable organization. As the industry undergoes seismic shifts in technology and customer expectations, companies that master this balance will lead the future. In a mortgage industry shaped by volatility, compressed margins, and shifting […]
The inspector general position at the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is currently vacant after the reported ouster of Joe Allen. Allen, who was appointed as acting inspector general in April 2025, also served as chief counsel for the Office of Inspector General (OIG). It remains unclear when he left the position or whether he continues […]
NewDay USA, a national mortgage lender that serves veterans, on Monday announced a new loan offering designed to help veterans and service members buy homes by addressing one of the biggest financial barriers — closing costs. The product, NewDay Home, allows qualifying borrowers with steady employment, strong credit and sufficient income to secure a fully […]