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Suzee Quanta

Suzee Quanta
Suzee Quanta is the lead content editor for Mortgage & Finance News magazine, responsible for quality control and uptime. Suzee has worked in the finance industry for over 20 years in various support service positions, and joined the Neotrope News Network team in 2017.

News: Secured Signing Reports 45% Month-on-Month Growth in Notary Adoption of Deepfake Detection Feature

Mortgage and Finance News: (MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.) Secured Signing, a global leader in Digital Signing and Remote Online Notarization (RON), announced a 45% month-on-month increase in adoption of Realify, its AI-powered deepfake detection feature, among independent and in-house notaries. The surge reflects growing awareness among legal and notarial professionals of the escalating threat posed by AI-generated synthetic media in video-based identity verification and online meetings.

News: HostPapa Completes Acquisition of Tailor Made Servers

Mortgage and Finance News: (DALLAS, Texas and BURLINGTON, Ontario) HostPapa, Inc., a leading global web hosting and cloud service provider, today announced that it has completed the acquisition of Tailor Made Servers ("TMS"), a Dallas, Texas-based dedicated server hosting provider that has been serving businesses and resellers since 2003.

News: Dark Matter Technologies names Vikas Rao CEO to lead next chapter of growth

Mortgage and Finance News: (JACKSONVILLE, Fla.) Dark Matter Technologies (Dark Matter®), an innovative leader in mortgage technology, today announced the appointment of Vikas Rao as chief executive officer. Rao, who has served as chief technology officer since 2025, succeeds Sean Dugan and will lead the company's next phase with a focus on translating its technology leadership into stronger growth.

News: Class Valuation expands New York presence with acquisition of Lauritano Appraisal Services

Mortgage and Finance News: (TROY, Mich.) Class Valuation, a leading real estate appraisal management company (AMC), announced today that it has acquired Lauritano Appraisal Services (LAS), a highly respected New York-based residential appraisal firm with more than 30 years of experience delivering high-quality valuation services.

News: Optimal Blue report: Purchase demand lifts mortgage lock activity as rates rise

Mortgage and Finance News: (PLANO, Texas) Optimal Blue today released its March 2026 Market Advantage mortgage data report, reflecting resilient mortgage activity as purchase demand strengthened despite higher rates. Total rate-lock volume rose 13% month over month (MoM) and 26% year over year (YoY). Purchase activity led the month, with purchase lock volume up 38% from February and 20% from March 2025. Cash-out refinance volume increased 9% MoM and 21% YoY, while rate-and-term refinance volume declined 34% from February but remained more than 66% higher YoY.

News: The Mortgage Collaborative expands national conference presence, invites lenders to connect during spring events

Mortgage and Finance News: (SAN DIEGO, Calif.) The Mortgage Collaborative (TMC), the nation's largest independent cooperative network for mortgage lenders, will engage with members and industry partners across a series of key mortgage conferences and events nationwide throughout the second quarter.

News: Vice Capital Markets Announces Support for New Fannie Mae Specified-Cash Payup Commitment Grids

Mortgage and Finance News: (NOVI, Mich.) Vice Capital Markets, a leading mortgage hedge advisory firm for independent lenders, banks and credit unions, announced today that it now supports new 30-year fixed-rate specified-cash payup commitment grids from Fannie Mae, which became effective April 9, 2026.

News: Click n’ Close names Delores Lopez as chief operating officer

Mortgage and Finance News: (ADDISON, Texas) Click n' Close, a multi-state mortgage lender, today announced the appointment of Delores Lopez as chief operating officer, effective April 6. In this role, Lopez will lead operations, drive scalable growth initiatives and implement operational strategy across the organization, reporting to Ian Kimball, president.

News: Vice Capital Markets Now Supports New Freddie Mac Cash-Specified Payup Types for 30-Year Fixed-Rate Mortgages

Mortgage and Finance News: (NOVI, Mich.) Vice Capital Markets, a leading mortgage hedge advisory firm for independent lenders, banks and credit unions, announced today that two new Freddie Mac Cash-Specified Payup Types (CSPTs) for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages are now available through Vice Capital for both mandatory and best-efforts executions. The new payup types became effective in production on April 6, 2026.

News: GHIRP to Host 5-Year Anniversary Spring Festival Amid Threats to Immigrant Legal Services and Growing ICE Presence

Mortgage and Finance News: (HOUSTON, Texas) The Galveston-Houston Immigrant Representation Project (GHIRP) will host its 5-Year Anniversary Spring Festival Fundraiser on Saturday, April 25, 2026, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Dan Electro's in Houston. The event will bring together community members and advocates to celebrate five years of impact while raising urgently needed funds to defend immigrants across the Galveston-Houston area.

News: Kitsap Credit Union selects FirstClose’s home equity lending platform

Mortgage and Finance News: (AUSTIN, Texas) FirstClose™, a leading fintech provider of data and workflow solutions for mortgage and home equity lenders nationwide, announced today that Kitsap Credit Union has selected FirstClose to support its home equity lending operations with a bundled, end-to-end digital tool.

News: Argyle’s Thomas Rasmuson named 2026 HousingWire Rising Star

Mortgage and Finance News: (NEW YORK CITY, N.Y.) Argyle, the leading provider of direct-source income, employment and asset verifications, today announced that its Director of Sales Thomas Rasmuson has been named a 2026 Rising Star by HousingWire. The annual HousingWire Rising Stars award recognizes standout professionals under 40 who are making a significant impact on the housing industry through leadership, innovation and measurable business results.

News: Class Valuation’s Amanda Standley named to HousingWire’s Rising Stars list

Mortgage and Finance News: (TROY, Mich.) Class Valuation, a leading real estate appraisal management company (AMC), today announced that Amanda Standley, vice president of business development for Bluebird Valuation, a Class Valuation company, has been named a 2026 HousingWire Rising Star. The HousingWire Rising Stars award recognizes emerging leaders under 40 in mortgage and real estate who are leading change and making a meaningful impact on their organizations. This year, 75 young professionals were named to the list.

News: Floify’s Sydney Barber honored with HousingWire’s Rising Stars award

Mortgage and Finance News: (BOULDER, Colo.) Floify, the mortgage industry's leading point-of-sale (POS) solution, today announced that Sydney Barber, 33, head of product, has been named a 2026 HousingWire Rising Star. Barber joins 74 other young professionals on this year's list.

News: Dark Matter Technologies introduces Ask Aiva, an AI assistant embedded in the Empower LOS

Mortgage and Finance News: (JACKSONVILLE, Fla.) Dark Matter Technologies (Dark Matter®), an innovative leader in mortgage technology, today announced Ask Aiva®, a conversational AI assistant natively embedded within the Empower® loan origination system (LOS) that allows lenders to query their origination environment in plain language, receive instant answers to see how those answers were derived.

News: Friday Harbor integrates with Calyx Path Platform to bring AI pre-underwriting directly into the flow of the loan

Mortgage and Finance News: (SEATTLE, Wash.) Friday Harbor today announced a new integration with the Calyx Path Platform that brings AI-powered pre-underwriting directly into the flow of the loan. Instead of waiting until underwriting to uncover issues, lenders can now review borrower documents, surface potential problems and resolve them earlier while maintaining consistent, reliable loan data throughout the lifecycle.

News: ‘Money Buddies’ Debuts First Two Episodes on April 1 in Celebration of Financial Literacy Awareness Month

Mortgage and Finance News: (ATLANTA, Ga.) This Financial Literacy Awareness Month, kids and families are invited to meet the Money Buddies, a lovable and irreverent cast of puppet characters on a mission to make learning about money fun, memorable, and easy to understand. Created and powered by Alliance Group, Money Buddies officially debuts the first two episodes of its seven-episode educational series on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.

News: Argyle announces integration with Vesta to embed direct-source verifications within the loan origination system

Mortgage and Finance News: (NEW YORK CITY, N.Y.) Argyle, a leading provider of direct-source, consumer-permissioned income, employment and asset verifications, today announced a new integration with Vesta, an AI-native loan origination system (LOS) and agent platform built to automate and accelerate mortgage operations.

News: The Mortgage Collaborative to send advocacy committee to Washington for policy meetings

Mortgage and Finance News: (SAN DIEGO, Calif.) The Mortgage Collaborative (TMC), the nation's largest independent cooperative network for mortgage lenders, will send its Advocacy Committee to Washington, D.C. on April 16 to meet with federal policymakers and housing agencies to discuss mortgage lending, regulatory reform and housing affordability.

News: Friday Harbor partners with Waterstone Mortgage to expand underwriting capacity

Mortgage and Finance News: (SEATTLE, Wash.) Friday Harbor, an AI-powered platform that helps loan officers assemble complete and compliant loan files in real time, today announced that Waterstone Mortgage has implemented its AI pre-underwriting platform to strengthen file quality and expand underwriting capacity across the lender's nationwide retail operation.

News: Hann Builders and Collaborative Design Group Showcase the Ivanhoe Modern Home on the 2026 Houston Modern Home Tour

Mortgage and Finance News: (HOUSTON, Texas) Hann Builders and Collaborative Design Group Architecture and Interiors will open the doors of the Ivanhoe Modern Home, located in Houston's Afton Oaks neighborhood, on March 28 as part of the 2026 Houston Modern Home Tour, a self-guided showcase of five of the city's most compelling contemporary residences.

News: Dark Matter Technologies integrates Snapdocs with its Empower LOS to power seamless digital closings

Mortgage and Finance News: (JACKSONVILLE, Fla.) Dark Matter Technologies (Dark Matter®), an innovative leader in mortgage technology, today announced a new integration between its Empower® loan origination system (LOS) and Snapdocs, the mortgage industry's leading digital closing platform. Through the seamless, two-way integration, closing teams can generate orders, track transaction progress with real-time status updates and automate key closing and funding workflows, all without leaving their system of record.

News: Vertyx Introduces Homeowner Navigator, Delivering Personalized Intelligent Insights and Omnichannel Engagement for Modern Homeownership

Mortgage and Finance News: (NEW YORK, N.Y.) Vertyx, a provider of intelligent mortgage servicing technology built for enhanced portfolio performance, today announced Homeowner Navigator, a platform providing AI-driven homeowner insights and omnichannel engagement with borrowers. The platform is designed to help mortgage servicers maintain visibility into borrower needs after closing, when opportunities to support retention, recapture and broader relationship growth are often harder to identify.

News: DocMagic’s Lori Johnson honored with National Mortgage Professional’s 2026 Women of Inspiration award

Mortgage and Finance News: (TORRANCE, Calif.) DocMagic, Inc. announced today that Chief Operating Officer Lori Johnson has been named a 2026 National Mortgage Professional (NMP) Women of Inspiration award winner. The awards program recognizes women who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, made significant contributions to the mortgage industry and inspired others through mentorship and advocacy.

News: Argyle’s Shelby Bohannon recognized as one of NMP’s 2026 Women of Inspiration

Mortgage and Finance News: (NEW YORK CITY, N.Y.) Argyle, the leading provider of direct-source income, employment and asset verifications, today announced that Shelby Bohannon, Vice President of Customer Success, has been named a 2026 Woman of Inspiration by National Mortgage Professional (NMP). The annual recognition celebrates influential women in mortgage lending who are driving meaningful progress across the industry.

News: Texas Bankers Association Partners with Ascribe to Offer Texas Banks Competitive, Reliable Valuation Services

Mortgage and Finance News: (AUSTIN, Texas) The Texas Bankers Association (TBA), the nation's largest state-based banking trade organization, today announced its endorsement of Ascribe, a leading national provider of valuation, evaluation, property inspection, and REO (real estate owned) services. Approved by the TBA Services Company, Inc. (TBASCO) Board of Directors, the endorsement gives Texas banks access to high-quality valuation services, competitive pricing, and fully insured support for both commercial and residential properties.

News: California Resident Files Writ of Mandate Regarding State Ferret Ban

Mortgage and Finance News: (LA MESA, Calif.) Pat Wright, a California resident and advocate for ferret legalization, and founder of LegalizeFerrets.org, has filed a Petition for Writ of Mandate in Sacramento County Superior Court against the California Fish and Game Commission and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

News: Evergreen Development Brings Fitness, Dining, and Retail to One of Gilbert’s Last Master-Planned Commercial Sites

Mortgage and Finance News: (GILBERT, Ariz.) Evergreen Development has construction well underway on Parkview at Morrison Ranch, a Mountainside Fitness-anchored neighborhood center at the northeast corner of Higley Road and Warner Road in Gilbert, Arizona. Completion of the approximately 15-acre development is targeted for Fall 2026. Sitework began in November, with vertical construction starting in February 2026.

News: La Belle Farms and Hudson Valley Foie Gras to Challenge Recent Appellate Ruling That Limits State Review of NYC’s Foie...

Mortgage and Finance News: (FERNDALE, N.Y.) La Belle Farms, a fourth-generation, family owned and operated duck farm located in Ferndale, N.Y., announced today it will appeal the recent decision by the Appellate Division, Third Department, which ruled that the State Department of Agriculture and Markets misapplied state law when it blocked New York City's 2019 ban on the sale of foie gras (Local Law 202).

News: New Collaboration Strengthens Trust in Oil and Gas Certification Data

Mortgage and Finance News: (PORTLAND, Ore.) Diode, the leader in blockchain-defined networking, today announced a collaboration with CleanConnect.ai to strengthen the integrity and traceability of oil and gas production certificates. The initiative integrates Diode's zero trust networking technology, Oasis' privacy preserving blockchain, and CleanConnect.ai's ProveZero multi-certification pathway system to deliver authenticated production proofs with source level provenance.