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Retail Lending

CrossCountry Mortgage to strengthen footprint with Summit M&A deal

CrossCountry Mortgage, HWmember, LendingLife, Mergers and Acquisitions, Mortgage, Origination, Retail Lending /

Cleveland-based CrossCountry Mortgage (CCM) has struck a deal to acquire Summit Funding, broadening its geographic reach, the companies announced Wednesday. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. “In 2025, we financed 1 in 35 homes sold nationwide, ranking as the No. 1 retail mortgage lender,” Ron Leonhardt, founder and CEO, told HousingWire. “This acquisition […]

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California-based LenderMac to acquire Direct Mortgage

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Cypress, California-based LenderMac Holdco LLC has agreed to acquire Direct Mortgage Corp. in a move aimed at expanding its geographic footprint and building a multichannel mortgage platform, the companies announced Tuesday. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. “This acquisition represents an important step in our long-term growth strategy,” Kenneth Jo, CEO of LenderMAC,

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Union Home Mortgage brings on M&A veteran Renee Hildebrand

Mergers and Acquisitions, Mortgage, Origination, People Movers, Retail Lending, Team Leaders, Union Home Mortgage /

Union Home Mortgage (UHM) indicated a strong appetite for mergers and acquisitions by hiring Renee Hildebrand from Guild Mortgage to seek new opportunities, the company announced Tuesday. ​​The move comes a few years after the Strongsville, Ohio–based UHM, led by CEO Bill Cosgrove, acquired Amerifirst Home Mortgage. It also follows two additional acquisitions in 2025

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Rising credit report costs may push mortgage industry toward upfront fees

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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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Exclusive: NFM Lending grows footprint with Homespire Mortgage acquisition

HWmember, Lenders, LendingLife, Maryland, Mergers and Acquisitions, Mortgage, Origination, Retail Lending /

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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Planet Home Lending hires John Adams as renovation leader

HWmember, Mortgage, People Movers, Planet Home Lending, Retail Lending, Team Leaders, Veterans /

Planet Home Lending on Thursday announced the appointment of John Adams as retail renovation leader as the company seeks to enhance its home renovation expertise and unlock more housing opportunities for borrowers. Adams will focus on training and supporting Planet’s distributed retail loan originators and educating real estate agents nationwide. He will also educate veterans

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Smartfi Home Loans shutters retail division

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San Diego-based Smartfi Home Loans, a top 15 U.S. reverse mortgage lender, recently made the decision to close its retail division and place an “exclusive focus” on its wholesale channel, the company confirmed Tuesday with HousingWire’s Reverse Mortgage Daily. The move was officially announced Sept. 15 and ends a short stint for the company’s retail

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Does the trigger leads bill opt-in provision wave goodbye to competition?

Consumer Protection, HWmember, IMBs, Lead Generation, Mortgage, Mortgage Broker, Regulatory, Retail Lending /

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

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Planet Financial posts 64% annual growth in residential originations

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Planet Financial Group LLC, the parent of national mortgage lender Planet Home Lending, on Tuesday reported strong growth across its servicing, origination and asset management channels in the second quarter of 2025. The company — which also does business under the name Planet Loan Servicing and asset manager Planet Management Group — grew its total

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Michael Isaacs out as CEO of Go Mortgage

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Go Mortgage‘s majority owner and CEO Michael Isaacs have parted ways, sources told HousingWire this week. Staff at the Ohio-based retail lender were told on Monday that Isaacs’ tenure was over, and that majority owner Jordan Hansell had named himself as interim CEO. The departure was a mutual decision, with Hansell and President Andrew Paganos

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