Origination

Stop marketing like it’s 2008: You’re invisible

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 The problem isn’t outdated tools.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 […]

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Rising credit report costs may push mortgage industry toward upfront fees

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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Mortgage credit report costs could jump 50% in 2026

Credit report prices for mortgage lenders will increase by up to 50% in 2026, despite regulatory efforts to boost competition and recent pricing shifts by some players, resellers told HousingWire. It will mark the fourth consecutive year of higher costs.  The increase is tied to credit reports that originate with FICO information and flow through

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From the warming drawer to the freezer: Tariffs, the Supreme Court and housing

As someone who’s spent decades in the mortgage trenches—and as one of the owners of a $1 billion independent mortgage banking company—I’ve seen a few sunrises and sunsets in this industry. The 2008 crisis. Conservatorship. Waves of QE. Worsening LLPA’s. Adverse market fees. The pandemic housing chaos. Two percent refinances. The fastest rate spike in

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Mortgage defects are growing in prominence

The share of mortgage with critical defects rose for the second straight quarter as more borrowers tapped home equity through cash-out refinances. That’s according to ACES Quality Management‘s QC Industry Trends Report for the second quarter of 2025. The report, which was released Tuesday and analyzes post-closing quality control data derived from the company’s software,

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Figure’s marketplace accelerates with $2.5B in Q3 volume

Figure Technology Solutions reached $2.5 billion in consumer loan marketplace volume in the third quarter of 2025 — a 70% year-over-year increase, the company reported Thursday in its first earnings release since going public. Most of Figure’s volume continues to come from home equity lines of credit (HELOCs). New product categories — including crypto-backed loans,

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How NewDay Home helps fulfill the VA’s promise of homeownership for our nation’s heroes

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

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A 50-year mortgage could double your interest payment

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

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Trump proposes 50-year mortgage to help affordability

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

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Exclusive: NFM Lending grows footprint with Homespire Mortgage acquisition

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

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