Tag: Business

Mortgage and Finance News: (PLANO, Texas) Optimal Blue today released its September 2025 Market Advantage mortgage data report, which showed a sharp increase in rate-lock activity as mortgage rates fell throughout the month to their lowest levels in nearly a year. Total lock volume rose 28% month over month (MoM), led by a surge in refinance lending as borrowers seized on the opportunity to lower monthly payments. Purchases also climbed 6% MoM, outperforming typical seasonal trends as improved affordability brought more buyers into the market.

Mortgage and Finance News: (NEW YORK CITY, N.Y.) Argyle, the leading provider of direct-source income, employment and asset verifications, today announced the launch of Doc VOI, a new paystub and W-2 based income verification report integrated with Freddie Mac's AIM Check API. Lenders are cutting costs and gaining fast, automated income verifications from uploaded paystubs and W-2s when direct payroll or banking connections are not available.

Mortgage and Finance News: (BOULDER, Colo.) Floify, the mortgage industry's leading point-of-sale (POS) solution, today announced the launch of Dynamic AI, a new capability that reimagines the mortgage application process by moving document collection and AI-driven data extraction to the very beginning of the process.

Mortgage and Finance News: (ATLANTA, Ga.) Down Payment Resource (DPR), the housing industry's leading technology for connecting homebuyers with homebuyer assistance programs, announced today that it has partnered with ALCOVA Mortgage to expand access to down payment assistance (DPA) programs for homebuyers. The collaboration will help ALCOVA's loan officers match borrowers with available programs more easily, addressing one of the biggest challenges in today's housing market, namely affordability.

Mortgage and Finance News: (JACKSONVILLE, Fla.) Dark Matter Technologies (Dark Matter®), an innovative leader in mortgage technology, today announced the expansion of the Empower® loan origination system (LOS) to include comprehensive eClosing capabilities by integrating Wolters Kluwer's eOriginal® ClosingCenter and eOriginal eAsset® Management Platform.

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 its AI Originator Assistant can now evaluate loan files against not only baseline program guidelines, but also the lender and investor overlays that ultimately shape salability and risk. By embedding these requirements directly into the workflow of frontline originators, the platform gives lenders greater control over credit quality and secondary market execution.

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 its eClose360® platform is fully compatible with the Mortgage Industry Standards Maintenance Organization's (MISMO) newly published SMART Doc® V3 standard for electronic home equity lines of credit (eHELOCs).

Mortgage and Finance News: (DES MOINES, Iowa) 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.

Mortgage and Finance News: (ADDISON, Texas) 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.

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

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

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 Brad Cardwell, vice president of sales and business development, has been appointed to the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) Associate Advisory Council (MAAC).

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

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

Mortgage and Finance News: (MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.) 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.

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

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

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: (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.