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Author name: Ricky Vasquez

Tech Pulse: UWM challenges industry AI fear; Optimal Blue automates refi opportunities

Artificial Intelligence, assumable mortgage, ICE Mortgage Technology, MLS, Mortgage, Optimal Blue, Real Estate, Technology, The Gathering, The Gathering 2025, United Wholesale Mortgage, Zillow /

Welcome back to Tech Pulse — a new weekly series rounding up the latest in technology, including tools, integrations and trends impacting mortgage and real estate. Here’s what happened this week: UWM’s Jason Bressler challenges the fear-driven narrative around AI in mortgage lending At HousingWire’s The Gathering, United Wholesale Mortgage Chief Technology Offficer Jason Bressler challenged fears about […]

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First American: Rising costs squeeze homeownership for millions

Affordability, Data & Visuals, First American, First American Financial Corporation, Homeownership, HWmember, Insurance, Mortgage, Property Tax /

The cost of owning a home in the U.S. has jumped sharply in recent years, reaching an average of more than $1,700 per month in 2023 — a 17% increase since 2020 — according to an analysis by First American senior economist Sam Williamson. Using the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data, Williamson found that

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MBA, FHFA explore single credit report for mortgages

credit report, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Government Lending, GSE Reform, GSEs, HWmember, LendingLife, Mortgage, Mortgage Bankers Association /

While the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) under President Joe Biden proposed a transition from a tri-merge to a bi-merge credit report system, the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) is now assessing the feasibility of moving to a single credit report for mortgage underwriting. Bob Broeksmit, president and CEO of the MBA, wrote in a blog

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HUD signs agreement with South Korean housing finance agency to spur MBS investment

Ginnie Mae, Government Lending, HUD, HWmember, Mortgage, Scott Turner, Tariffs, Trump administration /

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Ginnie Mae on Friday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with a South Korean housing finance authority, with the goal of increasing investment in U.S. agency mortgage-backed securities. The agreement, signed with the Korea Housing Finance Corp. (KHFC), “underscores a shared commitment to expanding access

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How midsize lenders are surviving the mortgage squeeze

AnnieMac, Earnings, HWmember, Lenders, LendingLife, Mortgage, Origination, Plaza Home Mortgage, Retail Lending, Wholesale Lending /

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.  “This is not our

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HUD is light on reverse mortgage detail in budget justifications

Congress, Government Lending, HECM, HUD, HWmember, Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund, Reverse, White House /

Following the release of the president’s fiscal year 2026 “skinny” budget request — and a look at the White House’s performance expectations for the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) program — the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has released its congressional justifications document to explain the reasons for its appropriations requests. Normally,

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Pros see longevity for residential transition loans

ABS, RMBS, Securitization /

Real estate professionals attending a recent Morningstar | DBRS panel discussion were optimistic about the new production prospects for residential transition loans (RTL), with about 60% saying they expected positive long-term growth, and around 32% expecting flat production from the sector. The financing environment is also positive, they said. Forty-four percent of industry professionals in

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Why home equity is high but the typical house’s value fell

Originations, Servicing, Underwriting /

The slow erosion in first-quarter home equity from a year ago equates to a four-figure decline in house value, according to Cotality’s latest numbers. The new Cotality study, which follows an earlier report of home equity declines by Attom, shows the trend drove a typical house’s value down by $4,200 at the beginning of 2025

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Tech-driven homebuyer platform Realpha hits Texas

Industry News, Originations, Real Estate, REALTORS & HOMEBUILDERS /

Technology-backed real estate platform Realpha is expanding into Texas, the latest move in its attempt to establish end-to-end home buying services across the country.  Already active in Florida, Realpha rolled out its platform to the Lone Star State through an agreement with national brokerage Continental Real Estate Group, allowing it to build a customer base

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