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CMG promotes John-Robert Martinez to lead reverse business in the East

CMG Financial, HWmember, Liberty Reverse Mortgage, People Movers, Reverse, Reverse Market Insight, Team Leaders /

CMG Financial‘s reverse mortgage division has welcomed John-Robert Martinez as regional manager of reverse for the eastern U.S., effective Monday. The news was confirmed on LinkedIn by Sean Kirksey, CMG’s vice president of reverse mortgage. “Anyone who has worked with John knows how much this is earned,” Kirksey wrote. “He has been our top-producing reverse […]

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Fathom Holdings sells LiveBy assets to Move Concierge for $3M

Brokerage, Fathom Holdings, HWmember, Marketing, Real Estate, Real Estate Agents, Real Estate Marketing /

Fathom Holdings has sold its LiveBy assets to Move Concierge for $3 million — with an additional $300,000 in expected annual contingent payments tied to data-sharing agreements. Fathom will retain access to the LiveBy platform for five years while Move Concierge extends its services to all Fathom agents. Both companies will make their services available

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Rising credit report costs may push mortgage industry toward upfront fees

Credit Score, FICO, HWmember, LendingLife, Mortgage, Mortgage Broker, Origination, Retail Lending, VantageScore /

Kevin Bell, a mortgage broker at Oakmont Lending, had to adjust to a different approach to handling credit report costs when he joined the company from a retail lender earlier this year. Oakmont charges borrowers upfront, while Stockton Mortgage Corp., where Bell worked for about three years as a branch manager, follows the industry standard

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How top agents use 2025 lessons for smarter 2026 business goals

Agent, Contributors, HWmember, Real Estate, Real Estate Agents, Real Estate Marketing, real estate teams, The Agency /

As the year winds down, most real estate agents feel the pull to jump straight into 2026 real estate goal-setting mode. New targets, fresh marketing campaigns, ambitious listing goals—it’s all very energizing. Not so fast. Here’s what I’ve learned in nearly 30 years in this business: the most successful agents pause first. They look back

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Court merges lawsuits over Zillow, Redfin’s multifamily listing deal

Brokerage, Federal Trade Commission, HWmember, Legal, Real Estate, Redfin, Zillow /

The two antitrust lawsuits involving Zillow and Redfin’s $100 million multifamily rental syndication deal have been consolidated.  The plaintiffs in the lawsuits include the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and attorneys general in Virginia, Arizona, New York, Connecticut and Washington. The five states’ attorneys general filed their unopposed motion to combine their lawsuit with the suit filed

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The originator’s playbook: Competing and growing in a shifting market

Contributors, HWmember, Mortgage, Mortgage Rates, Non-QM, Opinion /

As interest rates continue to ease and borrower confidence rebuilds, originators are operating in a market that demands both adaptability and creativity. To better understand how mortgage professionals are approaching today’s environment, I asked four experienced originators to share how they’re guiding clients, leveraging non-qualified mortgage (non-QM) solutions, and refining their playbooks to stay competitive.

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Making the 7-day refi reality: Modernizing mortgage appraisals

Appraisals, Appraisals and Valuations, Contributors, HWmember, Mortgage, Opinion, Refinancing /

For many borrowers, the appraisal is the most stressful step in a refinance: part mystery, part high-stakes hurdle. Will the home appraise high enough? Will it delay closing? What actually determines the final value? Lenders can help ease these concerns by adopting the right combination of technology, strategy, and partnerships to modernize the process. A

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The new battlefront in lending: Payment intelligence, buyer retention, and the capital rails that will decide 2026 purchase winners 

Contributors, HWmember, Loan Processing, Opinion /

For the past decade, rate marketing has been the dominant gravitational force in mortgage acquisition. Whoever shouted the lowest 30-year fixed rate the loudest won the most attention. But attention has never been the same as intent, and intent has never been the same as a closed loan.  What’s happening now is more fundamental than

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What real estate can learn from LEGO’s reinvention

Contributors, HWmember, Opinion, Real Estate, Real Estate Agents, real estate brokerage /

Just in time for the holidays, Troy Palmquist looks at how this legacy manufacturer bounced back from a market downturn and how agents can, too A few weeks ago, on a podcast, I was asked which brands I admire most. Without hesitation, I said LEGO. The toy company has an incredible comeback story, from the

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Toledo housing inventory jumps 46% as Midwest markets recalibrate

Artificial Intelligence, Housing Market Data, HWmember, Local Market Spotlight, Ohio /

Toledo’s single-family home inventory surged to 1,150 active listings for the week ending Nov. 22, 2025, marking a 46% increase from 787 homes a year earlier. The dramatic inventory expansion coincides with widespread price adjustments, as 38.3% of active listings reduced their asking prices during the week. The median list price in the Toledo metro

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