Author name: Ricky Vasquez

Exclusive: Lawmakers introduce bipartisan FHLB bond bill

Key insight: A bill offered by Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., and Todd Young, R-Ind., would allow Federal Home Loan bank members to set up tax-exempt bonds for community development projects, much the same way they already do for housing projects.  Expert quote: “For too long, communities across the country have had a hard time […]

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Oregon community bank ceases mortgage operations

Oregon’s Willamette Valley Bank announced it is exiting mortgage lending, pointing to challenges facing small institutions and macroeconomic concerns behind its decision.  Processing Content The community bank, based in Salem, Oregon, will formally end residential lending operations on March 31. Along with four full-service branches across the state, Willamette Valley also runs five designated home

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Mortgage rates dip under 6% for first time since ’22

Mortgage rates for the 30-year fixed loan finally broke below the 6% mark this past week, Freddie Mac reported, as the spread with the 10-year Treasury got below 200 basis points. Processing Content However, the 15-year fixed rate mortgage rose by a relatively large 9 basis points from the week of Feb. 19. “For the

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Top Mistakes Homeowners Are Making in 2026 (And How To Avoid Them)

Top Mistakes Homeowners Are Making in 2026 (And How To Avoid Them)

Let’s be clear: selling your house is absolutely possible right now. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), roughly 11k homes sell every day in this country. And the sellers who are making their moves happen all have one thing in common: they’ve adjusted their strategy to match today’s market. They’re realizing inventory has

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Better taps crypto funding to target sub-5% rates

Better is turning to crypto-linked capital to fund as much as $500 million in mortgages, betting the move can double originations and eventually push borrower rates below 5%.  Processing Content The lender is partnering with Framework Ventures to tap funding through the Sky stablecoin ecosystem, positioning the platform as an alternative source of warehouse liquidity

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Consumer debt accelerates in December, fueled by mortgages

Consumer debt accelerated in December, driven by substantial growth in first mortgage and home equity lines of credit balances, a new industry report showed. Processing Content Total consumer debt in the United States reached $18.2 trillion by the end of last year, with $12.8 trillion attributed to first mortgages, according to Equifax’s fourth quarter consumer

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Non-QM specialist Lendermac acquires Utah’s Direct Mortgage

Wholesale and correspondent mortgage firm Lendermac announced it had reached an agreement to acquire Direct Mortgage Corp., the latest deal in the current wave of industry consolidation. Processing Content The move aims to bolster the national presence of Cypress, California-based Lendermac and facilitate its efforts to create a scaled multichannel platform that supports future expansion,

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MI volumes jump 12%, competitive pressure builds

Helped by a strong fourth quarter, the six active private mortgage insurers wrote 12% more business in 2025 over the prior year. Between the third and fourth quarter, new insurance written grew by 4%, according to a report from Bose George of Keefe Bruyette & Woods. Typically, the last three months of the year are

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Onity Group adds a former Truist executive to c-suite

Onity Group adds a former Truist executive to c-suite

Aulene Wessel, chief accounting officer at OnityOnity Onity Group has named Aulene Wessel, a former executive vice president at Truist, as a new member of its leadership team. Processing Content Wessel is taking on the chief accounting officer role previously filled by Francois Grunenwald, who will be leaving the company after a transition period “to

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