Origination

Mortgage brokers say loanDepot is knocking at their door again

loanDepot appears to be building capabilities in the wholesale mortgage space — a channel it formally exited three years ago. Executives and owners at three mortgage brokerage shops told HousingWire they were recently contacted by loanDepot representatives who introduced themselves as account executives while “re-introducing” the company’s wholesale channel and inviting the brokers to become […]

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Income eligibility defects drive mortgage quality decline

Loan quality risks amid ongoing mortgage market challenges are continuing to emerge, according to the newest QC Industry Trends Report from ACES Quality Management, which tracks post-closing quality control data from its platform. The overall critical defect rate in the first quarter of 2025 climbed to 1.31%, ending two straight quarters of improvement and up

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Mortgage applications shrink as VA loan demand declines

Mortgage applications decreased 1.4% from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)’s weekly mortgage applications survey for the week ending Aug. 15. Without taking seasonal adjustments into account, the index decreased 2% compared with the previous week. The refinance index decreased 3% from the previous week but was 23% higher

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4 steps to take before the next mortgage market shift

Having spent decades navigating the ups and downs of the mortgage industry, I’ve learned that challenging market conditions offer two choices: stand still and hope for improvements or go on the offensive and invest in positioning your company for long-term success. Today’s market represents one of those pivotal moments, with recent data indicating slower home

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IMBs swing back to profitability in Q2 with $950 per-loan gain

Independent mortgage banks (IMBs) delivered a pretax net production profit of $950 per loan in the second quarter of 2025, rebounding from a $28 loss in the prior quarter. The improvement was fueled by seasonality, cost reductions and higher average loan balances. The data, released on Tuesday, comes from the Mortgage Bankers Association report covering

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RE/MAX turns to Vic Lombardo to scale Motto Mortgage, wemlo

RE/MAX Holdings has appointed Vic Lombardo as its president of mortgage services. Lombardo will succeed Ward Morrison to oversee mortgage brokerage franchise brand Motto Mortgage and third-party processing solution wemlo, the company announced on Monday. Lombardo brings more than two decades of experience to the role. He most recently served as chief operating officer of

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VA loan homebuyers navigate NAR settlement with ease

As the real estate industry prepared for the business practice changes outlined in the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) nationwide commission lawsuit settlement agreement, one of the biggest questions was how the changes would impact veteran homebuyers wishing to use their loan benefit from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).  The NAR settlement requires

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New-home purchase mortgage demand kept growing in July

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)’s Builder Application Survey data for July 2025, released on Monday, shows that mortgage applications for new-home purchases increased 6.8% compared from a year ago. Compared to June 2025, applications increased by 7%. This change does not include any adjustment for typical seasonal patterns. “Purchase activity for new homes strengthened in

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The Florida Association of Mortgage Professionals pushes for condo guideline changes

Florida homebuyers are facing the same affordability challenges that other housing markets are grappling with, but with added regulatory hurdles if they want to buy a condo. The Florida Association of Mortgage Professionals (FAMP), which is hosting its annual convention this week in Orlando, is addressing those challenges head-on, looking to improve the Florida housing market

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Better’s Kevin Ryan adds Houlihan Lokey role amid executive shake-up

Several senior executives in Better’s control and finance teams, including chief financial officer Kevin Ryan, have taken additional jobs or left the company as it navigates financial pressures, according to public announcements and updates to social media profiles.  In July, Ryan also joined investment bank Houlihan Lokey as a managing director in its capital solutions

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