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Three ways servicers can move the needle on borrower experience

Artificial Intelligence, Contributors, HWmember, Mortgage, Mortgage Servicing, Opinion, Servicing, Technology /

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 […]

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The Optimal Blue lawsuit: Data transparency or market manipulation?

Contributors, Data & Visuals, Housing Market Data, HWmember, Legal, Mortgage, Opinion /

Mortgage-pricing data has gone digital. But when does transparency turn into coordination? In early October 2025, mortgage-technology provider Optimal Blue and three major lenders were sued in a proposed class-action alleging price-fixing and market manipulation in U.S. mortgage rates. At the center of the case is a question that goes well beyond one software firm:

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Affordability for first-time homebuyers: Beyond rates and prices

Contributors, First-Time Homebuyers, Homebuyers, HWmember, Mortgage, Opinion, Origination /

We’ve all heard the refrain: it’s never been harder to buy your first home. The narrative almost always circles back to two usual suspects – mortgage rates and home prices. While rates and prices are undeniably visible and powerful levers, they are not the whole story. For industry insiders, the challenge (and the opportunity) lies

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Redefining the loan officer’s toolkit: Why insurance guidance belongs next to APR calculators 

Contributors, HWmember, Insurance, Mortgage, Mortgage insurance, Opinion, Origination /

A mortgage is more than a rate and a closing date. It is a family planning for what happens after the keys are in hand. That is why insurance is not optional and belongs beside pricing, product fit, and closing costs in a loan officer’s core toolkit. It is required for the loan, and it

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Manufactured housing Is the future of affordable housing

Affordable housing, Contributors, HWmember, Manufactured Housing, Mortgage, Opinion, Origination /

Last month, Members of Congress were treated to an on-the-ground look at manufactured housing – the sector of the housing industry that holds the greatest promise for meeting our nation’s affordable homeownership and rental housing challenges. At the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) “Innovative Housing Showcase” in early September on the National

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Private mortgage insurance: one of the most powerful financial tools for first-time buyers

Contributors, HWmember, Mortgage, Mortgage Connect, Mortgage insurance, Opinion /

While it may seem second-nature to realtors, lenders, and others in the industry, navigating the homebuying process can be overwhelming and confusing, particularly for first-time homebuyers. It can feel like a foreign language and it’s often easy for misconceptions to take root. This includes the characterization of private mortgage insurance, which helps first-time buyers and

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There’s no such thing as a Realtor tax: Here’s what they’re missing

Agent, Brokerage, Contributors, Housing Market, HWmember, Opinion, Real Estate, Tax /

Benjamin Franklin famously said that nothing in life is certain except death and taxes. When I saw a recent article by Robert Bork Jr. claiming that the affordability crisis is due to some sort of “Realtor® tax,” I stopped in my tracks. The only Realtor® tax I’m aware of is the 15% self-employment tax I’m

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Safety in real estate extends far beyond the physical

Contributors, Fair Housing, Opinion, Real Estate /

Agent safety in October, and every other month, remains a critical theme. The industry is rightly reminded each fall to take precautions during showings and open houses, and true safety extends well beyond physical well-being. For agents, particularly those navigating the complexities of the rental market, safety increasingly means protection against lawsuits, regulatory violations, and

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The Texas law threatening to break the affordable housing equation

Contributors, Housing Market, Opinion, Real Estate, Texas /

A quiet change in Texas law this past spring could ignite a crisis in affordable housing – and send a chilling signal to investors nationwide. House Bill 21 (HB 21), passed in May, drastically rewrites the rules for how affordable housing partnerships in Texas qualify for property tax abatements. For years, those abatements have been

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Stop leaving deals on the table: how lenders can use DPA to win the “missing middle”

Contributors, Homeownership, Lenders, Mortgage, Opinion, Origination /

We have known each other for years and frequently appear on the same panel or podcast. Recently, Mosi has made some points to address some of the challenges of down payment assistance (DPA) programs, and we wanted to share and build on those thoughts because they are major shifts we feel the industry needs to

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