Mortgage and Finance News

Mortgage and Finance News: (PLANO, Texas) Optimal Blue today released its April 2026 Market Advantage mortgage data report, which found that mortgage lock activity pulled back after a strong first quarter. Total rate-lock volume declined 9% month over month (MoM) but remained 11% higher year over year (YoY). Purchase lock volume declined just under 2% from March but increased more than 9% from April 2025, continuing to lead production as refinance activity cooled.

Mortgage and Finance News: (AUSTIN, Texas) FirstClose, a leading fintech provider of data and workflow solutions for mortgage and home equity lenders nationwide, today announced SmartDocs, a new disclosure intelligence capability available through its XpressEquity point-of-sale platform. SmartDocs functions as the intelligence layer that determines when disclosure obligations begin and initiates the appropriate workflow based on lender-configured rules, helping standardize timing and delivery across programs and jurisdictions.

Mortgage and Finance News: (TORRANCE, Calif.) DocMagic, Inc. (DocMagic®) announced today that it has received two new certifications from MISMO®, the Mortgage Industry Standards Maintenance Organization. MISMO's eVault System Certification covers SmartSAFE®, DocMagic's core eVault for managing eNote workflows and MERS® eRegistry activity, and SmartSAFE XL™, an API-first eVault designed for enterprise environments that require flexible deployments and support for a broader range of digital assets.

Mortgage and Finance News: (NOVI, Mich.) Vice Capital Markets, a leading mortgage hedge advisory firm for independent lenders, banks and credit unions, today announced the public release of the Vice Capital Par Note Rate, a proprietary daily mortgage rate benchmark designed to provide a distinct, market-based view of mortgage pricing. Available via an online tracker, the benchmark provides lenders, analysts and other market participants with daily data, long-term trend analysis and custom charting dating back to 2008.

Mortgage and Finance News: (DES MOINES, Iowa) iEmergent, a forecasting and advisory services firm for the financial services, mortgage and real estate industries, has released its analysis of 2025 Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data in Mortgage MarketSmart. Presented by iEmergent CEO Laird Nossuli, the findings point to a market that is regaining momentum after a prolonged downturn.

Mortgage and Finance News: (LA MESA, Calif.) LegalizeFerrets.org says a new phase has emerged in California's long-running ferret controversy after the California Fish and Game Commission and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife filed demurrers in response to a lawsuit involving Petition 2025-003 - a citizen petition seeking reconsideration of California's classification of domestic ferrets as restricted animals.

Mortgage and Finance News: (AUGUSTA, Ga.) Pillar To Post® Home Inspectors has named Jeremiah Adell Jr., owner of Pillar To Post of Greater Augusta, its 2025 Rookie of the Year, an award presented recently in 2026 to recognize outstanding overall performance based on sales, market growth and contribution to the brand.

Mortgage and Finance News: (LONG BEACH ISLAND, N.J.) Save Long Beach Island (Save LBI), a nonprofit, non-partisan organization dedicated to protecting our oceans from needless industrialization, along with other concerned parties, filed suit against the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to compel the agency to act on a 2025 petition intended to protect the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale (NARW).

Mortgage and Finance News: (DENVER, Colo.) ACES Quality Management® (ACES), a leading provider of enterprise quality management and control software for the financial services industry, announced today that Romina Cusenza, vice president of marketing, has been named a 2026 Trailblazers in Sales, Marketing and PR award winner by Progress in Lending. The award recognizes mortgage industry professionals who have made a meaningful positive impact on their company and the broader industry through sales, marketing and public relations initiatives.

Mortgage and Finance News: (ADDISON, Texas) Click n' Close, a multi-state mortgage lender, today announced the appointment of Amy Azorandia as chief compliance officer. In this role, Azorandia will lead the company's compliance strategy, governance framework and risk management infrastructure as Click n' Close continues to scale its national platform and expand its lending programs.