Housing Wire

MARCH 14, 2025

Traditional loan officers who focus solely on transactions are being replaced by mortgage professionals who act as financial strategists, long-term advisors, and educators. Heres how the mortgage industry is changing and what loan officers must do to thrive. Understanding todays mortgage market challenges 1.

Mortgages

Housing Wire

NOVEMBER 13, 2024

million in Q2 2024 related to mark-to-market impacts on its lock pipeline. The company also reported a funded loan volume of $1.035 billion for Q3 2024, up 42% year over year and up 8% quarter over quarter, with 71% of this volume attributed to purchase loans. Better reported third-quarter revenue of $29 million, down from $32.3

Mortgages

Housing Wire

OCTOBER 28, 2024

Fluctuating interest rates and a fast-changing market Last month, we saw the Federal Reserve deliver their long-awaited decision to lower interest rates with a 50 basis points cut, and 30-year mortgage rates reached as low as 6.08% according to ICE’s 30-year fixed conforming rate index.

Loan Officer

Housing Wire

OCTOBER 31, 2024

1, NerdWallet is paying $1 million in cash for the outstanding equity interests of Next Door. The Nationwide Multistate Licensing System (NMLS) shows that Michigan-based brokerage firm Next Door had 61 sponsored loan officers as of Thursday, along with four branches in Arizona, Nevada, Ohio and Texas. It is also offering $3.5

Lending

Housing Wire

OCTOBER 23, 2024

Cash-out refis have gained popularity due to record-high home equity levels in recent years. UWM’s new offering arrives during a period of declining interest rates and growing competition in the mortgage refinance market. The real advantage of this product lies in UWM’s aggressive marketing to mortgage brokers.

Equity

Housing Wire

JULY 23, 2025

And to do that you need two things: real estate agents and loan officers. Redfin bought Bay Equity and tried multiple mortgage products and now they are at Rocket. The agent a buyer is meeting through a portal is connecting them with a local loan officer that they know. Nobody has gotten that right yet.

Loan Officer

Housing Wire

JUNE 26, 2025

” Crescenzo characterizes the mortgage market as flat. “I have clients that bought three years ago, five years ago, and they might be sitting on, you know, $40,000, $60,000, or $75,000 in that short span of a potential equity gain. “They can, in some respects, craft the way they want to take the loan. .”

Mortgages

Housing Wire

MAY 2, 2025

Dubbed Rate Portfolio, the new products are being introduced in a competitive purchase market. Another option allows borrowers to qualify based on assets alone or in combination with income including retirement accounts, investment portfolios, money market funds or inheritances.

Closing

Housing Wire

JULY 14, 2025

the parent of Guild Mortgage , has left loan officers wondering how the traditionally purchase-focused lender would integrate refinance capabilities to leverage the $770 billion servicing portfolio of soon-to-be sister company Lakeview Loan Servicing , the nation’s second-largest mortgage servicer.

Mortgages

Housing Wire

MARCH 19, 2025

Vishal Garg , Better’s CEO and founder, said that despite a market with historically low housing affordability and persistently high mortgage rates , Better saw progress in its funded loan volume. All three of the company’s product channels purchase, refinance and home equity saw annualized growth.

Loan Officer

Housing Wire

JANUARY 3, 2025

But it becomes a stronger presentation when you’re presenting different loan options. One of the loan options that Cory said makes the reverse mortgage easier to describe to potential partners is the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage ( HECM ) for Purchase (H4P). She expects that momentum to continue this year.

Mortgages

Housing Wire

JULY 31, 2025

HousingWire: Matt, we’ve spoken a few times recently about the work you’re doing in the customer acquisition space, and how ICE is helping lenders uncover new loan opportunities in today’s competitive market. That seems like an example of how you’re supporting lenders with their recapture efforts. Can you tell us more about that?

Loans

Housing Wire

MAY 20, 2025

But we’re also diversifying in the field through our brokers as well as our local loan officers, and well be able to add to that through the Redfin acquisition as well here very soon, Lovier said on stage during the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) Secondary and Capital Markets Conference in New York on Tuesday.

Loan Officer

Housing Wire

NOVEMBER 5, 2024

Chief financial officer David Hayes said in a statement that in the third quarter, there was a “modest improvement in the mortgage market, coupled with the company’s positive operating leverage,” which fueled the return to profitability. “As Costs may increase as the company continues to add loan officers and operations team members.

Purchase and sale agreement

Housing Wire

APRIL 28, 2025

Its a busy time to be in the proprietary reverse mortgage space, with new and relaunched products hitting the market and other additional features being added to existing product catalogs. We have also seen more borrowers who have been paying a lot of money up front to refinance their loan for relatively small amounts of proceeds.

Loans

Housing Wire

MAY 13, 2025

The company said AI-powered underwriting now supports 75% of its locked loans up from just over 40% immediately after its launch and is helping loan officers close more than three times the mortgage industry median per month. Since then, it has reportedly onboarded about 115 NEO loan officers across 53 branches.

Purchase and sale agreement

Housing Wire

MAY 19, 2025

Existing resources, needed work Rate managed to become one of the top 20 Home Equity Conversion Mortgage ( HECM ) lenders in the country last year. We had a good, strong library of marketing content, so there was a baseline, which was nice not to have to build. Defining the divisions goals going forward required other work to be done.

Mortgages

Housing Wire

JANUARY 13, 2025

By recruiting top talent and building meaningful partnerships, we can create seamless connections between forward and reverse channels, empowering both our loan officers and clients.

Mortgages

Housing Wire

JUNE 4, 2025

As borrower expectations for personalized, timely communication rise, loan officers are turning to AI-powered tools to stay competitive. Loan officers realize margins are too tight to treat prospects as one-time deals. It comes down to timing and relevance.

Industrial

Housing Wire

JUNE 26, 2025

In May, Longbridge Financial debuted Platinum Preserve, a new proprietary reverse mortgage product that aims to help borrowers preserve home equity for their heirs. The interview with Macerato , the chief revenue and marketing officer at Longbridge, has been edited for length and clarity. But that’s exactly the point.

Equity

Real Estate News

JULY 18, 2025

Skip to Content Agents Brokerages MLS/Assn Tech Industry By the Numbers Consumer Illustration by Lanette Behiry/Real Estate News Industry Homeownership education needs a reboot — and a new messenger Loan officers and financial advisors need to meet aspiring buyers where they are as many increasingly turn to social media for home financing advice.

Loan Officer

Housing Wire

APRIL 7, 2025

Reverse mortgage industry performance metrics have continued their soft trend into the third month of the year, though activity in the secondary market was slightly higher than the month prior. In conversations with loan officers, they are seeing a greater need for reverse mortgages, McCue said.

Mortgages

Housing Wire

MAY 12, 2025

The lending playbook needs an overhaul Lets cut through the noise: The mortgage market isnt changing; its already changed. HELOC and home equity loan originations jumped 6% and 8% , respectively, in Q3 2024. According to the Mortgage Bankers Association , the lenders who are making money right now arent just originating loans.

Mortgages

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. HMBS issuance A total of 81 HMBS pools were issued in April 11 more than in March New View report.

Mortgages

Housing Wire

DECEMBER 30, 2024

The good news for 2024 for us was that we had a lot of forward loan officers realize that reverse mortgages are a great piece [to add to] their business, and a lot of people took the initiative to get certified, she said.

Mortgages

Housing Wire

MARCH 19, 2025

Editor in Chief Sarah Wheeler sat down with Chad Smith, president and COO of Better Mortgage , to talk about leadership, technology, and how they have pivoted their business strategy to meet the needs of this market. Smith joined Better in May 2024 after serving in senior leadership roles at Mission Loans, Caliber Home Loans and loanDepot.

Loan Officer

Housing Wire

MARCH 19, 2025

The earnings release touted growth compared to 2023 and detailed the company’s plans of “diversifying Betters offering, and leveraging Tinman to power local loan officers” through a new program. In 2024, Better produced a funded loan volume of approximately $3.6 billion) was tied to purchase loans.

Loan Officer

Housing Wire

AUGUST 1, 2025

Loan officers have encouraged borrowers to continue with their home loan applications. Waller supported a 25 basis-point cut due to minimal tariff effects and increased labor market risks. Bowman advocates for a gradual shift to a neutral policy stance, citing slowing economic growth and a less dynamic labor market.

Mortgages

Housing Wire

JULY 31, 2025

” The company also experienced “strong growth” in refinance volume, he said, while home equity loan originations nearly doubled year over year, setting new records for units and volume. Rocket is adding nearly 150 loan officers from Bay Equity Home Loans , a Redfin subsidiary, enhancing its presence in local markets.

Equity

Housing Wire

MAY 7, 2025

For IMBs, this signals increased state scrutiny in areas such as loan fees, loan officer licensing and compensation and community investment, industry attorneys and executives told HousingWire. Weve also seen states move to regulate home equity investment contracts. So its not just enforcementtheres a regulatory push too.

Mortgages

Housing Wire

MAY 8, 2025

Despite a slowdown in overall Home Equity Conversion Mortgage ( HECM ) volume in the first quarter of 2025, Longbridge Financial contributed positively to parent company Ellington Financial. Internally, we found that there were over $500 million of loans that were short to close in our wholesale and retail divisions, she said at the time.

Loans

BAM Media

JUNE 4, 2025

homeowners tapped nearly $25 billion in home equity during Q1 2025the highest first-quarter volume since 2008 and a 22% increase year over year. Home equity reached a record $17.6 homeowners pulled nearly $25 billion in home equity through second-lien mortgages, marking the strongest first-quarter volume since 2008.

Equity

Redfin

JULY 30, 2025

Less equity at the start can make it harder to refinance or sell in the short-term, since there’s no down payment upfront. USDA loans USDA loans are government-backed mortgages requiring zero down. Are there loans available for buyers in specific professions? Requirements Down payment: 3.5%

Loans

Housing Wire

DECEMBER 27, 2024

billion in origination volume in the third quarter of 2024 , when it reported profitability in its origination segment even with an overall loss of $67 million due to a market value change in its servicing book. These specialized platforms typically do not focus on conventional or government loan production. Guild posted $6.9

Mortgages

Housing Wire

APRIL 10, 2025

An illustration of mortgage loan officers struggling with volatility in the jumbo space. The mortgage market turbulence sparked by the global trade war has hit jumbo loans especially hard. But stock market volatility, driven by the trade war, is undercutting their ability to access those funds.

Marketing

Housing Wire

APRIL 8, 2025

Illustration of a mortgage loan officer struggling with rate volatility. Image created with ChatGPT 4o While the trade war initiated last week by the Trump administration has brought volatility to mortgage rates, some loan officers have seen an uptick in home loan applications as some borrowers are staying on course.

Mortgages

Redfin

JANUARY 6, 2025

14 housing trends that defined the year, including record house prices, a mortgage rate rollercoaster, and a sales sea-saw The 2024 housing market in many ways mirrored 2023: too few homes on the market, and not enough buyers willing to face high prices and mortgage rates. Nearly 40% of renters thought theyd never own a home.

Mortgages