Housing Wire

NOVEMBER 8, 2024

In the latest episode of the Power House podcast, host Diego Sanchez sits down for a group chat with Fobby Naghmi, senior vice president at Homecomings Mortgage & Equity , and Ginger Bell, founder of Edumarketing. In our industry, we have so many different verticals. As an industry, we must come together and grow as leaders.

Industrial

Housing Wire

JULY 28, 2025

Total originations of open-ended home equity lines of credit ( HELOCs ) and closed-end home equity loans increased in 2024 by 7.2% That’s according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)’s 2025 Home Equity Lending Study. The reasons for tapping home equity are shifting. 31, 2024, analyzed $24.8

Equity

Housing Wire

MAY 2, 2025

The reverse mortgage industrys premier trade association held its first event of 2025 this past week. What does get noticed is the number of loans we do the size of the industry. And if reverse mortgages are underutilized, reverse for purchase is so underutilized, its almost criminal. But a lot of it goes unnoticed.

Mortgages

Housing Wire

APRIL 9, 2025

High mortgage rates have made moving or buying a new house less appealing, said Ebonee Johnikin, a real estate agent based in Laurel, Miss. Many baby boomers have already paid off their homes or have a low fixed mortgage that they dont want to give up. Representatives from Fairway Independent Mortgage Corp.

Equity

Housing Wire

MARCH 10, 2025

A reverse mortgage-related bill that was introduced in the Maryland state Senate that would have put the onus on lenders to cover some extra expenses tied to the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage ( HECM ) origination process has been withdrawn by the sponsoring senator after conversations with reverse mortgage industry representatives.

Industrial

Housing Wire

DECEMBER 4, 2024

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) announced last week that the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage ( HECM ) limit for 2025 will be $1,209,750. The recently announced increase to the HECM limit is exciting news for reverse mortgage borrowers,” she told RMD in a statement.

Mortgages

Housing Wire

OCTOBER 18, 2024

Indiana-based lender Ruoff Mortgage is making a move designed to help more homeowners get into new homes with ease. Ruoff Mortgage is teaming up with fintech company Calque to offer two “buy before you sell“ programs to customers. The Trade-In Mortgage — Calque’s most popular program — functions similar to a vehicle trade-in.

Purchase and sale agreement

Housing Wire

JUNE 18, 2025

Equity release — a class of financial products that involve unlocking home equity and converting it into cash flow — currently has global annual volume of roughly $17 billion. This class includes reverse mortgage products in the U.S., reverse mortgage industry. The data was picked up by U.K.-based billion to $14.2

Equity

Housing Wire

JUNE 17, 2025

As the real estate industry faces unprecedented transformation, Century 21 Real Estate has stayed active through aggressive franchise growth, market consolidation and engagement with evolving homebuyer demographics. What’s driving this level of expansion and how does it fit into where the industry is heading?

Industrial

Housing Wire

APRIL 21, 2025

As one of only a few states considering more stringent regulation of the home equity investment (HEI)/home equity contract product category, lawmakers in the state of Washington have requested an academic study to assess the impacts on state residents who may use an HEI to tap into their home equity.

Equity

Housing Wire

JANUARY 3, 2025

Reverse mortgage professionals made more inroads into the forward mortgage industry in 2024. This happened through dedicated conversations, partnerships between reverse and forward mortgage companies, and expanded activities in reverse that stemmed from acquisitions and expansions of existing divisions.

Mortgages

Housing Wire

JANUARY 2, 2025

Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) endorsements saw a healthy increase in October 2024. But after additional data about the month of October was released, one metric of reverse mortgage industry performance HECM case number assignments from the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) saw a surprising increase at that time.

Mortgages

Housing Wire

NOVEMBER 21, 2024

Tim Nelson, a longtime reverse mortgage industry professional and reverse department manager at VIP Mortgage in Scottsdale, Arizona , spent 20 years in the home lending arena before shifting his focus entirely to reverse. Nelson is now a reverse mortgage borrower in addition to being an industry professional.

Mortgages

Housing Wire

APRIL 29, 2025

Kicking off the first 2025 event held by the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA) Tuesday morning in Irvine, Calif., the associations co-chairs offered an update on the industrys advocacy efforts. These meetings include with Rep. French Hill (R-Ark.), the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, and Rep.

Industrial

Housing Wire

MAY 13, 2025

Lets be real: the real estate industry is changing. This article explores the key traits, strategies, and mindset shifts required to succeed in evolving real estate and mortgage landscapes. Homeowners are stuck Many homeowners hesitate to sell due to the low mortgage rates they secured in previous years.

Industrial

Housing Wire

OCTOBER 24, 2024

Fast-growing mortgage servicing platform Valon has secured $100 million in a Series C funding round, the company announced this week. It is utilizing a cross-selling strategy that offers additional products to its existing customers in an evolving mortgage landscape.

Mortgages

Housing Wire

NOVEMBER 12, 2024

Finance of America (FOA), the leading reverse mortgage lender, presented a robust outlook last week in its third-quarter 2024 earnings and is aiming to hit the ground running with business in 2025. The product was first introduced in 2018, marking the industry’s first-ever second-lien reverse mortgage option.

Mortgages

Housing Wire

APRIL 8, 2025

Fairway Independent Mortgage Corp. announced the incorporation of hybrid e-closings for reverse mortgages on Tuesday, aiming to incorporate its experience with the technology on the forward side of the mortgage business into its reverse mortgage division for the first time. Fairway Independent Mortgage Corp.

Closing

Housing Wire

APRIL 28, 2025

billion deal to acquire digital real estate brokerage firm Redfin , industry observers are still trying to understand the future of one key asset: Bay Equity Home Loans. While the companies remain quiet on their plans, some Bay Equity employees arent waiting for answerstheyre already looking for new jobs. billion in 2022, $4.2

Loan Officer

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 11, 2025

The Oregon state senates Committee on Housing Development held a hearing last week on a piece of proposed legislation that seeks to limit the amount of equity a reverse mortgage lender can receive after the sale or transfer of a property. Senate Bill (SB) 534 is positioned primarily as a consumer protection measure.

Mortgages

Housing Wire

DECEMBER 23, 2024

Over the past year, members of the reverse mortgage industry have been making a more concerted effort to connect with their counterparts in the forward mortgage space. And some reverse-only companies have aimed to establish firmer ties with the much larger forward mortgage industry.

Lending

Housing Wire

NOVEMBER 14, 2024

With several top 10 reverse mortgage lenders now active in some form within the U.S. In the case of FOA — the current industry leader — the earnings results were robust. While Ellington’s results were softer in comparison , company leaders remain bullish on profitability prospects for Longbridge and the wider industry.

Investor

Housing Wire

DECEMBER 9, 2024

Although no person can truly predict mortgage rates for there are several factors involved; Industry forecasts predict interest rates will hover between 5.5% Get prepped early: Speak with a mortgage professional now to position yourself for success when the right home hits the market. A Mortgage Agency. Around 7.5%.

Mortgages

Housing Wire

JUNE 3, 2025

While reverse mortgages in the U.S. Lenders in other countries who make use of home equity tapping in a similar way can have different perceptions and market activity in their territories and some U.S. But as the world keeps spinning, reverse mortgage players in other countries are making moves. based lenders have taken notice.

Mortgages

Housing Wire

APRIL 25, 2025

Reverse mortgage professionals are preparing to travel to Irvine, California, for the industrys first event of the year, hosted by the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA). This will include an interactive conversation with a panel of reverse mortgage LOs on the dais and in attendance.

Industrial

Housing Wire

MAY 8, 2025

homeowners would consider tapping their home equity via products like a home equity line of credit ( HELOC ) due to ongoing concerns about the economic climate, stemming from a rise in volatility and uncertainty over the past three years. Still, the rise in the potential use of home equity lending comes with caveats.

Lending

Housing Wire

JUNE 4, 2025

Ryan Young, founder and CEO of Fello.ai , recently shared how AI is transforming mortgage professionals ability to connect with clients. He emphasizes that embracing automation today is key to thriving in an industry that is evolving faster than ever. This shift is creating a critical divide in the industry.

Industrial

Housing Wire

JANUARY 30, 2025

home equity based on different estimates its easy to see the potential impact that such a large cohort has on a variety of different businesses, including home inspections. As more older adults state their desires to age in place in their current homes and with baby boomers owning as much as half of all U.S.

Inspection

Housing Wire

MARCH 31, 2025

Rocket Companies is buying Mr. Cooper , America’s largest mortgage servicer, in a market-shattering deal that could reshape the mortgage industry for years to come. billion , is paying an equity value of $9.4 That’s one out of every six mortgages in America.

Finance

Housing Wire

MARCH 10, 2025

A reverse mortgage could have benefits for a qualifying borrower, but anyone considering these loans should also be mindful of the potential risks. A reader who asked Weston to weigh in on the product relayed the story of their 94-year-old mother, who took out a reverse mortgage in her late 60s thinking she would not live past her 80s.

Mortgages

Housing Wire

DECEMBER 30, 2024

While 2024 was rife with challenges for the mortgage industry broadly across forward and reverse a new year brings a new mindset. Some challenges remain, with mortgage rates being chief among them. I see more collaboration with different business units, for both the wider industry and within Guild, as well.

Mortgages

Housing Wire

MAY 20, 2025

When George Vrban recently took out a reverse mortgage himself, some eyebrows were raised. George Vrban, a name synonymous with expertise and trust in the reverse mortgage industry, reached a personal and professional milestone by obtaining a reverse mortgage for himself. What is a Reverse Mortgage?

Mortgages

Housing Wire

FEBRUARY 6, 2025

Describing the modern-day mortgage market as challenging would be an understatement, to say the least. Mortgage interest rates have steadily ramped up throughout 2024. The average rate throughout 2024 for 30-year fixed mortgages was 6.72% higher than it was during the 2008 market crash.

Loans

Housing Wire

JANUARY 27, 2025

Integrated with ICEs industry-leading MSP loan servicing system , Servicing Digital provides homeowners with real-time access to detailed and personalized loan and property-related data anytime, anywhere. In fact, ICEs Mortgage Monitor data found that as of November 2024, the average U.S.

Equity

Housing Wire

MAY 5, 2025

Reverse mortgage industry performance metrics have been soft so far in 2025, but two key data points involving Home Equity Conversion Mortgage ( HECM ) volume and HECM-backed Securities ( HMBS ) issuance saw promising increases in April. Then, some of those pages just went away.

Mortgages

Housing Wire

JUNE 13, 2025

Mortgage veteran Glenn Stearns is taking a different approach with his latest venture. Kind Lending , a national wholesale mortgage lender and his second brainchild, is built on lean operations and a focus on efficiency — a contrast with his first company, Stearns Lending, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2019. He’s not wrong.

Mortgages

Housing Wire

NOVEMBER 26, 2024

In honor of the 2025 Tech100 nomination season, HousingWire asked leaders from last year’s Tech100-winning companies including Flueid , Vesta , Gridbase and MyHome, a Williston Financial Group Company to share some examples of how their technology has helped transform a traditional real estate and mortgage process.

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