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Non-QM lender Griffin Funding unveils AI-driven underwriting platform

Artificial Intelligence, Griffin Funding, HWmember, LendingLife, Loan Officer, Mortgage, Non-QM, Origination, Technology, Underwriting /

Griffin Funding has launched an internal artificial intelligence-driven platform designed to help loan officers navigate the complex world of non-QM lending. The tool, known internally as “LIA,” pulls hundreds of pages of program guidelines into a single system and uses AI to deliver tailored answers to loan qualification questions, according to Chloe Shubin, vice president […]

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The quiet advantage in real estate: Pre-approval

Contributors, HWmember, Mortgage, Opinion, Origination /

When it comes to real estate, the best outcomes rarely happen by chance. The buyers who succeed are usually the ones who prepare early, long before they walk into their first showing. Preparation starts with understanding what a lender is willing to offer, and that can take one of two paths: a simple pre-qualification or

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Optimal Blue: Rate-and-term refis soar 70% in August

Adjustable-Rate Mortgage, FHA loan, HWmember, LendingLife, Mortgage, Optimal Blue, Origination, Refinancing, VA Loan /

Borrowers rushed to refinance in August as mortgage rates eased, pushing rate-and-term refi lock volume up 70% from July, according to Optimal Blue’s Mortgage Market Advantage report released Wednesday. “Borrowers are responding quickly to rate improvements, driving the strongest month for rate-and-term refinances we’ve seen this year,” Mike Vough, head of corporate strategy at Optimal

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Mortgage applications jump nearly 10% as rates drop

HWmember, Joel Kan, Mortgage, Mortgage applications, Mortgage Rates, Origination, Purchase Applications, Refinancing /

Lower mortgage rates prompted mortgage applications to increase 9.2% from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)’s weekly mortgage applications survey for the week ending Sept. 5. Last week’s results include an adjustment for the Labor Day holiday. On an unadjusted basis, the index decreased 3% compared with the previous

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Top 5 IMB priorities for GSEs in a post-conservatorship world

Community Home Lenders of America, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, GSE Reform, GSEs, Opinion, Origination, Regulatory /

On Friday, 46 independent mortgage banks (IMBs) jointly sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and FHFA Director Bill Pulte, laying out priorities for IMBs for a successful Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac exit from conservatorship. Spearheaded by the Community Home Lenders of America (CHLA), the only national group that exclusively represents IMBs, this IMB sign-on

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Hometap closes $300M securitization of home equity investments

Home Equity, Home equity loans, Hometap, HWmember, Investors, LendingLife, Mortgage, Origination, Secondary market /

Boston-based Hometap has closed a $300 million securitization of home equity investment (HEI) loans originated by the company, marking its fifth transaction in the space.  The deal, closed on Aug. 29, included a $231 million Class A tranche rated at BBB(sf) and a $12 million Class B tranche rated at BBB(low)(sf) by Morningstar DBRS.  “Through

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With a Fed rate cut likely, how big could the refinance wave be?

Federal Reserve, HWmember, ICE Mortgage Technology, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, LendingLife, Mortgage, Origination, Refinancing /

Mortgage rates at their lowest levels in nearly a year are driving a wave of refinance opportunities for lenders ahead of the Federal Reserve’s expected rate cut next week. The shift is encouraging more borrowers to leave the sidelines, with small rate moves already triggering meaningful activity. “Refinance businesses increased significantly from the first quarter,

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Trump signs law banning trigger leads

Donald Trump, HWmember, Lead Generation, LendingLife, Mortgage, Mortgage Bankers Association, NAMB, Origination, Regulatory, Trump administration /

President Donald Trump on Friday signed the Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act (H.R. 2808), establishing a nationwide ban on the abusive use of trigger leads beginning in March 2026. The legislation had broad mortgage industry support. It cleared the House in June and the Senate by unanimous consent in August, with bipartisan sponsorship from Reps. John

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The end-to-end Advantage: How ICE Mortgage Technology Is redefining mortgage innovation

ICE Mortgage Technology, Mortgage, Origination, Sponsored, Technology /

ICE Mortgage Technology is building the future of housing finance with an integrated solution suite powered by automation, advanced data, and AI. By evolving its Encompass platform with modern APIs and fostering a collaborative partner network, the company is simplifying the entire mortgage process, assisting lenders and servicers to deliver an exceptional borrower experience. Spearheading

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Rocket pushes back debt exchange deadline amid Mr. Cooper deal

Debt, HWmember, Investors, LendingLife, Mergers and Acquisitions, Mortgage, Mr. Cooper Group, Origination, Rocket Companies /

Rocket Companies has extended the deadline for investors to exchange debt issued by a Mr. Cooper Group subsidiary for the lender’s own paper — a step tied to its $9.4 billion acquisition of the competitor. The deadline moved from Sept. 2 to Sept. 30, still leaving enough time for the deal to close in the

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