Tag: Finance

DES MOINES, Iowa /Massachusetts Newswire: -- iEmergent, a forecasting and advisory services firm for the financial services, mortgage and real estate industries, today announced the availability of its 2025-2027 U.S. Mortgage Origination Forecast. The firm projects total originations will climb to $2.27 trillion in 2026, a 13% increase over 2025, as slowing economic growth and easing interest rates fuel a rebound in refinance activity alongside modest purchase gains.

ADDISON, Texas /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Click n' Close, a multi-state mortgage lender, today announced the appointment of Ian Kimball as president. In this role, Kimball will oversee strategic growth initiatives, operational execution and market expansion, reporting to founder and CEO Jeff Bode.

NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Argyle, the leading provider of direct-source income, employment and asset verifications, today announced its vice president of customer success Shelby Bohannon has been honored as one of Mortgage Banker magazine's 2025 Powerful Women of Mortgage Banking. The annual recognition series spotlights women who are making an impact in the mortgage industry and are fostering the next generation of women leaders in the profession.

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- The Mortgage Collaborative (TMC), wrapped up its 2025 fall conference, "Cheers in Boston: Where Everyone Knows Your Name," held September 14-17 at the Boston Marriott Copley Place. The event drew hundreds of lenders, vendors, and industry leaders to connect, exchange ideas, and refocus on progress as the industry moves into its next phase of growth.

ATLANTA, Ga. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Down Payment Resource (DPR), the housing industry's leading technology for connecting homebuyers with homebuyer assistance programs, today announced that Brad Cardwell, vice president of sales and business development, has been appointed to the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) Associate Advisory Council (MAAC).

IRVINE, Calif. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Cloudvirga, a Stewart-owned provider of digital point-of-sale platforms for lenders, today announced a new integration between its Horizon POS platform and the ICE PPE from Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE: ICE). Built on ICE's latest API framework for mortgage technology, the integration allows loan officers to request loan pricing, validate product eligibility and request rate locks from ICE PPE directly within Horizon's Loan Center.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Dark Matter Technologies (Dark Matter®), an innovative leader in mortgage technology, today announced the integration of the Empower® loan origination system (LOS) with Polly's advanced product, pricing and eligibility (PPE) engine, expanding choice for banks, credit unions and mortgage lenders.

BOULDER, Colo. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Floify, the mortgage industry's leading point-of-sale (POS) solution, today announced that its head of marketing Courtney Dodd has been appointed to the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) Associate Advisory Council (MAAC).

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Secured Signing, a leader in Digital Signatures and Remote Online Notarization (RON) technology, announced the launch of Realify, a new feature designed to protect businesses and their clients from the rising threat of deepfake fraud during remote online notarizations and video signing sessions.

BUFFALO, N.Y. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- LenderLogix, a leading provider of mortgage point-of-sale (POS) and automation software for banks, credit unions, independent mortgage banks and brokers, today announced that Peak Residential Lending (Peak) has adopted LenderLogix's LiteSpeed(tm) integration with Argyle to deliver verification of assets (VOA) directly at the point of sale (POS). LiteSpeed is the first POS to offer VOA through Argyle's verification platform.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Dark Matter Technologies (Dark Matter®), an innovative leader in mortgage technology, today announced a renewed multi-year partnership with Navy Federal Credit Union. The agreement reinforces the credit union's strategic focus on digital transformation and elevating the member lending experience.

CLEVELAND, Ohio /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Top mortgage industry webcast The Big Picture, broadcast live every Thursday at 3 p.m. ET, announced its October guest lineup featuring five prominent leaders in mortgage growth strategies, banking and housing market outlooks, affordable lending solutions, housing trends and policy insights, and the future of real estate.

ATLANTA, Ga. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Depth, a leading provider of consultative B2B marketing, public relations and reputation management services for technology companies serving the residential mortgage finance, fintech and regtech industries, today announced its addition of mortgage industry veterans Elizabeth Schroeder, vice president of client services, and Amy Jerina, client services manager, along with former business journalist Amber Perry, who also joins as a client services manager.

AUSTIN, Texas /Massachusetts Newswire: -- FirstClose™, Inc., a leading fintech provider of data and workflow solutions for mortgage and home equity lenders nationwide, today announced a certified integration with Optimal Blue that connects FirstClose's point-of-sale (POS) platform to Optimal Blue's product, pricing and eligibility (PPE) engine. The integration builds on FirstClose's ability to reduce home equity closing times from 45 days to 10 or fewer.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Stavvy, a leading digital mortgage platform, today announced that PHH Mortgage Corporation, a subsidiary of Onity Group Inc. (NYSE: ONTY), has selected its technology solution to enable fully digital execution of loan modification transactions. The partnership leverages Stavvy's comprehensive suite of tools, including eSign, remote online notarization (RON), and in-person electronic notarization (IPEN), all integrated within a centralized, secure hub.

ATLANTA, Ga. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Strategic Benefits Advisors, Inc. (SBA) has once again been honored by the Atlanta Business Chronicle as one of Atlanta's top employee benefits and compensation companies. The 2025 recognition marks the firm's seventh consecutive year on the list and coincides with its new certification under the U.S. Small Business Administration's Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contract Program.

DENVER, Colo. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- ACES Quality Management® (ACES), the leading provider of enterprise quality management and control software for the financial services industry, today announced the launch of ACES Intelligence, the industry's first and only AI-powered features for quality control (QC). ACES Intelligence helps ACES customers improve quality, speed and efficiency by enhancing loan reviews, selection and compliance.

AUSTIN, Texas /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Velocity Credit Union, a trusted financial partner for over 75 years, today announced the launch of its refreshed brand, including a new logo, a modernized website, and updated branch locations. The updated look and feel reflects Velocity's ongoing commitment to innovation, accessibility, and delivering an exceptional, member-first experience both in person and online.

BOULDER, Colo. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Floify, the mortgage industry's leading point-of-sale (POS) solution, today announced that Genisys Credit Union has selected its platform to streamline mortgage lending workflows and deliver an improved member experience. The partnership reflects Genisys' focus on flexible technology solutions and Floify's commitment to supporting credit unions with scalable tools.

NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Argyle, the leading verification platform for direct-source income and employment data, today announced a strategic investment round with new participation from Mastercard alongside continued support from current investors Bain Capital Ventures, Checkr, Rockefeller Asset Management and SignalFire. The investment reflects growing market demand for modern, consumer-permissioned verifications.

AUSTIN, Texas /Massachusetts Newswire: -- FirstClose™, a leading fintech provider of data and workflow solutions for mortgage and home equity lenders nationwide, announced the expansion of its sales organization with the addition of four accomplished industry sales professionals. These new team members bring deep industry experience and proven track records that will support the company's continued growth in home equity lending.

RESTON, Va. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Ardley, the leading provider of borrower-level mortgage intelligence, today announced the launch of Ardley OneLink, a first-of-its-kind universal entry point to the Ardley Intelligence Platform. OneLink enables lenders and servicers to instantly deliver Ardley-enabled custom loan offers to any qualified potential borrower.

HOUSTON, Texas /Massachusetts Newswire: -- NotaryCam®, a Stewart-owned company and a pioneering provider of remote online notarization (RON) and identity verification/authentication technology for real estate and legal transactions, today announced it has partnered with mortgage subservicing leader Dovenmuehle Mortgage Inc. and Texas-based law firm RUTH RUHL, P.C. to offer remote online notarization (RON) services for loan modification agreements.

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- The Mortgage Collaborative (TMC), the nation's largest independent cooperative network for mortgage lenders, has added FICO, global analytics software leader, as an educational partner. This partnership gives members additional insights into credit data, market trends and risk modeling. Unlike TMC's traditional partners, FICO will not sell products or services, focusing instead on empowering TMC's lender network with actionable intelligence on credit behavior and market dynamics.

SEATTLE, Wash. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Friday Harbor, an AI-powered platform that helps loan officers assemble complete and compliant loan files in real time, has joined the Community Home Lenders of America (CHLA) as an affiliate member. Friday Harbor will serve as an expert adviser to CHLA's lender members on the use of artificial intelligence in housing finance.

TORRANCE, Calif. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- DocMagic, Inc. today announced the launch of DocMagic® One, a new platform for lenders that eliminates the inefficiencies of juggling multiple systems by bringing every critical loan manufacturing step into a single, intuitive platform. Document preparation, compliance checks, collaboration between borrowers, title agents and settlement agents, and closing coordination all happen in one place. Role-based permissions and organizational hierarchies keep tasks moving without bottlenecks.

PLANO, Texas /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Optimal Blue today released its August 2025 Market Advantage mortgage data report, which found a sharp split between purchase and refinance trends as seasonal factors and falling rates reshaped origination activity. Total lock volume dipped about 2% month over month (MoM) as a roughly 10% drop in purchase locks outweighed the strongest month for rate-and-term refinances this year, which surged nearly 70%.

DANVILLE, Calif. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- A new mortgage income fund has been launched with a target of $50 million in capital commitments to address California's unique housing and lending gap. Central Mortgage Income Fund (Central) has been founded by Bay Area property veterans Dan and Ben Dianda to invest in short-term, real estate-backed loans across California.

AUSTIN, Texas /Massachusetts Newswire: -- FirstClose™, a leading fintech provider of data and workflow solutions for mortgage and home equity lenders nationwide, announced today the promotion of Andria Lightfoot to vice president of client success. In her new role, Lightfoot will join the sales and revenue organization and be responsible for implementation and customer success strategy.

SEATTLE, Wash. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Friday Harbor, an AI-powered platform that helps loan officers assemble complete and compliant loan files in real time, today announced its new integration with the Encompass® loan origination system (LOS) from ICE Mortgage Technology, part of Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE: ICE), a leading global provider of data, technology and market infrastructure. Built using ICE's latest Developer Connect API framework for mortgage technology, the integration enables seamless use of Friday Harbor within the Encompass environment.

ADDISON, Texas /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Click n' Close, a multi-state mortgage lender, today announced the launch of its SmartBuy 5/1 ARM Down Payment Assistance (DPA) product, designed specifically to help home builders address affordability concerns and support new home sales.

ATLANTA, Ga. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Down Payment Resource (DPR), the housing industry's leading technology for connecting homebuyers with homebuyer assistance programs, today announced that founder and CEO Rob Chrane has been named a 2025 HousingWire Vanguard. The prestigious award recognizes C-level executives whose leadership reshapes the housing economy and drives meaningful progress in mortgage and real estate.

TORRANCE, Calif. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- DocMagic, Inc. today announced that CEO and Co-Founder Pat Theodora has been named a recipient of the 2025 HousingWire Vanguard Award. This recognition honors C-level professionals and business leaders who are making a significant impact on the housing economy through bold vision, enduring leadership and forward-thinking innovation.

GARDEN GROVE, Calif. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Informative Research (IR), a leading technology provider of data-driven credit and verification solutions for the lending industry, today announced that Chief Experience Officer Matt Orlando has been named a 2025 HousingWire Vanguard.

BUFFALO, N.Y. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- LenderLogix, a leading provider of mortgage point-of-sale and automation software for banks, credit unions, independent mortgage banks and brokers, today announced its founder and CEO Patrick O'Brien has been recognized as a 2025 HousingWire Vanguard. The award honors C-suite professionals and business leaders whose vision and leadership are driving the housing industry forward across lending, servicing, investments, and real estate.

ADDISON, Texas /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Click n' Close, a multi-state mortgage lender, today announced that its Chief Operations Officer, Kara Lamphere, has been named a 2025 HousingWire Vanguard. The award recognizes C-suite professionals and business leaders whose vision and leadership are driving the housing industry forward across lending, servicing, investments and real estate.

AUSTIN, Texas /Massachusetts Newswire: -- FirstClose™, Inc., a leading fintech provider of data and workflow solutions for mortgage and home equity lenders nationwide, announced today that co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Tedd Smith has been named a 2025 HousingWire Vanguard.

TROY, Mich. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Class Valuation, a leading real estate appraisal management company (AMC), announced today that Chief Operations Officer Andrew Bough has been named a 2025 HousingWire Vanguard, a prestigious recognition honoring C-level executives whose leadership is advancing the housing and mortgage finance industry.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Dark Matter Technologies (Dark Matter®), an innovative leader in mortgage technology, announced today that Chief Product Officer Stephanie Durflinger has been named a 2025 HousingWire Vanguard. This prestigious recognition honors C-level executives whose leadership drives meaningful innovation and growth in the housing and mortgage finance industry.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Lutheran Home, part of Lutheran Life Communities, has begun construction on a new state-of-the-art DaVita Dialysis Den on its Arlington Heights campus. The new six-chair facility, built in partnership with DaVita Inc. (NYSE: DVA), will bring life-sustaining kidney care directly to Lutheran Home residents and, later, to the surrounding community.

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- The Mortgage Collaborative (TMC), the nation's leading independent cooperative network for mortgage lenders, announced today that its Mortgage Tech Day will take place September 14 at the historic Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston as part of its Fall conference, "CHEERS! Where Everyone Knows Your Name."

CLEVELAND, Ohio /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Top mortgage industry webcast The Big Picture, broadcast live every Thursday at 3 p.m. ET, announced its September guest lineup featuring four expert voices centered on best practices in loan administration, regulatory trends shaping the mortgage industry, the role of mortgage tech in secondary markets and innovation within the appraisal space.

HOUSTON, Texas /Massachusetts Newswire: -- NotaryCam®, a Stewart-owned company and a pioneering provider of remote online notarization (RON) and identity verification/authentication technology for real estate and legal transactions, today announced the continued expansion of its fraud prevention use cases within the credit card industry.

DENVER, Colo. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- ACES Quality Management® (ACES), the leading provider of enterprise quality management and control software for the financial services industry, today announced the release of its quarterly ACES Mortgage QC Industry Trends Report covering the first quarter (Q1) of 2025. The latest report analyzes post-closing quality control data derived from ACES Quality Management & Control® software.

IRVINE, Calif. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Cloudvirga, a Stewart-owned provider of digital point-of-sale platforms for lenders, today announced the general availability of an admin portal for its Tropos borrower platform, giving lenders greater control over how it works for their business and borrowers. With the new functionality, lenders can adjust organizational settings, manage their brand experience across the business structure, customize loan applications and adapt operational workflows-all without developer assistance.

HOUSTON, Texas /Massachusetts Newswire: -- NotaryCam®, a Stewart-owned company and leading remote online notarization (RON) provider for real estate and legal transactions, its certification to perform RON services in the state of Vermont. This development follows Vermont's enactment of legislation supporting remote notarizations, allowing notaries with a Special Endorsement to perform digital notarizations in the state.

GARDEN GROVE, Calif. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Informative Research (IR), a leading technology provider of data-driven credit and verification solutions for the lending industry, announced it has been named a 2025 Lending Tech Titan by PROGRESS in Lending, honoring the company's pioneering work in delivering automation, efficiency and cost savings to mortgage lenders across the U.S.

PLANO, Texas /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Optimal Blue today announced it will host its 2026 Optimal Blue Summit from February 23-25 at the Talking Stick Resort and Conference Center in Scottsdale, Arizona. Building on the success of its inaugural event, the 2026 Summit will bring together the company's clients and integration partners, along with thought leaders and experts from across the mortgage industry, for three days of insights, connection and strategy.

DENVER, Colo. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- ACES Quality Management® (ACES), the leading provider of enterprise quality management and control software for the financial services industry, today announced that three senior professionals from its team will participate in major industry conferences throughout September and October, showcasing ACES' leadership in regulatory compliance, risk management and loan quality.

NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Argyle, the leading provider of direct-source income, employment and asset verifications, has been named Overall Real Estate Data Solution of the Year in the 2025 PropTech Breakthrough Awards. The honor recognizes Argyle's growing impact on the tenant screening industry, where the company is helping property managers and tenant screening platforms combat fraud, improve data quality and speed up leasing decisions.

IRVINE, Calif. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Cloudvirga, a Stewart-owned provider of digital point-of-sale platforms for lenders, announced that Tropos, its next-generation borrower portal, has been named Loan Application Solution of the Year in the 2025 PropTech Breakthrough Awards.

BOULDER, Colo. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Floify, the mortgage industry's leading point-of-sale (POS) solution, today announced it has been named as an NMP Originator Choice Winner for 2025, achieving silver in its category.

ATLANTA, Ga. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Down Payment Resource (DPR), the housing industry's leading technology for connecting homebuyers with homebuyer assistance programs, today announced it has earned a spot on the 2025 Inc. 5000 list of the nation's fastest-growing privately owned companies after achieving 130% revenue growth from 2021 to 2024. DPR was also honored on the 2023 Inc. 5000 list.

PLANO, Texas /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Optimal Blue today released its July 2025 Market Advantage mortgage data report, which found a 3% month-over-month (MoM) drop in overall rate lock volume, led by a nearly 5% drop in purchase activity as affordability remained strained.

PLANO, Texas /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Optimal Blue today launched a new brand that emphasizes the company's market leadership in delivering modern innovation backed by decades of proven, trusted performance. "Optimal Blue is operating in an era defined by accuracy, scale, speed and artificial intelligence - and our new brand embodies that," said Joe Tyrrell, CEO of Optimal Blue.

AUSTIN, Texas /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Velocity Credit Union is proud to announce the official groundbreaking of its newest branch, located at the southeast corner of Davis Lane and Brodie Lane in Southwest Austin. This expansion reflects the credit union's continued commitment to serving its growing membership and delivering convenient, modern financial services to communities across Central Texas.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Secured Signing, a global leader in digital signature and online notarization technology, has announced a significant upgrade to its In-Person Electronic Notarization (IPEN) solution. The revamped IPEN experience is now fully integrated into the same intuitive dashboard used for Remote Online Notarization (RON) and Digital Signatures-enabling notaries to manage in-person signings with greater speed, convenience, and consistency.

GARDEN GROVE, Calif. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Informative Research, a premier technology provider delivering data-driven credit and verification solutions to the lending community, today announced the addition of The Work Number® Report Indicator from Equifax to its integrated suite of mortgage credit and verification tools.

NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Argyle, a service provider automating income, employment and asset verifications for some of the largest lenders in the United States, today announced its integration with LenderLogix, a leading provider of mortgage point-of-sale (POS) and automation software for banks, credit unions, independent mortgage banks and brokers.

BUFFALO, N.Y. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- LenderLogix, a leading provider of mortgage point-of-sale and automation software for banks, credit unions, independent mortgage banks, and brokers, today announced the release of the Homebuyer Intelligence Report, a quarterly summary of insights into borrower behavior during the home-buying process based on data collected by the LenderLogix suite of tools.

PLANO, Texas /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Optimal Blue today announced a new capability in its industry-leading product, pricing and eligibility (PPE) engine that fully automates the process for a lock desk user to execute best efforts locks directly with participating investors via API. By eliminating the last remaining manual step in the locking life cycle, Optimal Blue is delivering innovations and enhancements that will help significantly increase a lender's efficiency and profitability.

ATLANTA, Ga. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Down Payment Resource (DPR), the housing industry authority on homebuyer assistance program data and solutions, today released its Q2 2025 Homeownership Program Index (HPI) report. The report finds 45 new programs launched in Q2, traditionally the busiest homebuying season, bringing the total number of available programs to 2,554 - a new record - and the number of program providers to 1,340.

TROY, Mich. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Class Valuation, a leading real estate appraisal management company (AMC), announced today that its Elite Appraiser Panel, a groundbreaking program, has doubled in size during the past 12 months and is setting new standards for professional excellence. Class Valuation's exclusive, invitation-only Elite Panel now comprises hundreds of high-performing appraisers nationwide.

SAN DIEGO, Calif. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Amid one of the mortgage industry's most prolonged stretches of cost pressure and market uncertainty, the latest Pulse of the Network survey from The Mortgage Collaborative (TMC) reports that lenders are responding with creativity and nimble thinking, anchored by a clear commitment to long-term resilience.

SEATTLE, Wash. /Massachusetts Newswire: -- Friday Harbor, an AI-powered platform that helps loan officers assemble complete and compliant loan files in real time, announced two strategic hires today: Chris Simms has joined as head of strategic partnerships, and Gregory Buehler has joined as founding product manager. They bring over 35 years of combined experience in mortgage lending, product strategy and technology innovation.