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Mortgage and Finance News: (WASHINGTON, D.C.) In a major development for offshore wind oversight and marine environmental protection, the federal government has filed a motion in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to remand the Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind Construction and Operations Plan (COP) and Record of Decision (ROD) approvals for the controversial Atlantic Shores South offshore wind project, planned only 8.7 miles east of New Jersey's coast.

Mortgage and Finance News: (AUSTIN, Texas) 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.

Mortgage and Finance News: (CHARLOTTE, N.C.) Stavvy, a leading digital mortgage platform, today announced that PHH Mortgage Corporation, a subsidiary of Onity Group Inc. (NYSE: ONIT), 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.

Mortgage and Finance News: (CHICAGO, Ill.) Ascribe, a leading provider of real estate valuation and inspection services, has been approved as an Associate Member by the Community Bankers Association of Ohio (CBAO).

Mortgage and Finance News: (ATLANTA, Ga.) 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.

Mortgage and Finance News: (DENVER, Colo.) 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.

Mortgage and Finance News: (AUSTIN, Texas) 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.

Mortgage and Finance News: (BOULDER, Colo.) 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.

Mortgage and Finance News: (NEW YORK CITY, N.Y.) 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.

Mortgage and Finance News: (AUSTIN, Texas) 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.

Mortgage and Finance News: (RESTON, Va.) 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.

Mortgage and Finance News: (HOUSTON, Texas) 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.

Mortgage and Finance News: (SAN DIEGO, Calif.) 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.

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, 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.

Mortgage and Finance News: (TORRANCE, Calif.) 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.

Mortgage and Finance News: (MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.) Secured Signing, a global trusted leader in digital signature and remote online notarization solutions, is excited to unveil its latest integration with Clio, the industry's leading cloud-based legal technology platform. This integration streamlines document signing workflows for legal professionals - boosting efficiency, enhancing productivity, and freeing up more time to focus on what truly matters: their clients.

Mortgage and Finance News: (PLANO, Texas) 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%.

Mortgage and Finance News: (DANVILLE, Calif.) 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.

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 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.

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 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.

Mortgage and Finance News: (ADDISON, Texas) 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.

Mortgage and Finance News: (ATLANTA, Ga.) 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.

Mortgage and Finance News: (TORRANCE, Calif.) 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.

Mortgage and Finance News: (GARDEN GROVE, Calif.) 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.

Mortgage and Finance News: (BUFFALO, N.Y.) 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.

Mortgage and Finance News: (ADDISON, Texas) 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.

Mortgage and Finance News: (AUSTIN, Texas) 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.

Mortgage and Finance News: (TROY, Mich.) 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.

Mortgage and Finance News: (HOUSTON, Texas) 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 that President and CEO Brian Webster has been honored as a 2025 HousingWire Vanguard.

Mortgage and Finance News: (JACKSONVILLE, Fla.) 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.