Tag: Texas Business
News: Click n’ Close named one of Mortgage Women Magazine’s 2026 Top Employers for Women
Mortgage and Finance News: (ADDISON, Texas) Click n' Close, a multistate mortgage lender, today announced that it has been named one of Mortgage Women Magazine's 2026 Top Employers for Women. The annual recognition, featured by Mortgage Women Magazine and National Mortgage Professional, honors mortgage companies that provide women with resources, mentorship and leadership opportunities and maintain women's representation at every level of their organizations.
News: FirstClose Chief Technology Officer Dan Kellett named a 2026 Lending Luminary
Mortgage and Finance News: (AUSTIN, Texas) FirstClose™, a leading fintech provider of data and workflow solutions for home equity and mortgage lenders nationwide, announced today that PROGRESS in Lending (PIL) has recognized Chief Technology Officer Dan Kellett for his influence on how lenders approach home equity technology, naming him one of nine 2026 Lending Luminaries.
News: Optimal Blue report: Non-QM bucks September slowdown as mortgage rates surge
Mortgage and Finance News: (PLANO, Texas) Optimal Blue today released its September 2026 Market Advantage mortgage data report, which found non-qualified mortgage (non-QM) lending continued to expand even as rising rates weighed on broader mortgage activity. Total rate-lock volume declined 2% month over month (MoM), 21% over the past three months and 26% year over year (YoY). Non-QM lock volume bucked the broader decline, rising 8% MoM as non-QM loans accounted for 12% of September production.
News: Optimal Blue acquires Usherpa to provide originators with tools to win more business by connecting eligibility, pricing and borrower engagement
Mortgage and Finance News: (PLANO, Texas) Optimal Blue today announced it has acquired Usherpa, a marketing automation and borrower relationship engagement platform purpose-built for mortgage professionals. The acquisition expands Optimal Blue's ability to help lenders win more business by bringing borrower engagement capabilities closer to the product, pricing and eligibility solutions that over 200,000 originators use to identify and convert loan opportunities.
News: Optimal Blue Streamlines Best Efforts Lock Execution for Lenders
Mortgage and Finance News: (PLANO, Texas) Optimal Blue today announced that its direct lock functionality now integrates with Fannie Mae's Pricing & Execution - Whole Loan® (PE - Whole Loan) platform. The integration allows lenders using Optimal Blue's product, pricing and eligibility (PPE) engine to execute best efforts locks with Fannie Mae through real-time, system-to-system connectivity without leaving Optimal Blue.
News: FirstClose collaborates with Cotality to deliver a streamlined home equity lending platform designed for a 7-day close
Mortgage and Finance News: (AUSTIN, Texas) FirstClose™, a leading fintech provider of data and workflow solutions for home equity and mortgage lenders nationwide, today announced a strategic alliance with Cotality™, a leading global property information, analytics and data-enabled solutions provider that supports 80% of real estate transactions in North America.
News: Home equity lenders report an average per-loan impact of $753.04 from execution improvements
Mortgage and Finance News: (AUSTIN, Texas) FirstClose™, a leading fintech provider of data and workflow solutions for home equity and mortgage lenders nationwide, today released the results of an independent study by MarketWise Advisors, LLC, examining the value of improvements in operational readiness and execution for home equity lenders. Participating lenders reported an average financial and operational impact of $753.04 per loan, a 7.99x return, across the core and extended capabilities MarketWise modeled.
News: FirstClose introduces Lender Portal to manage home equity borrower leads in one workspace
Mortgage and Finance News: (AUSTIN, Texas) FirstClose, a leading fintech provider of data and workflow solutions for home equity and mortgage lenders nationwide, announced today the launch of Lender Portal, a new workspace that lets loan officers manage borrower leads in one place, from initial contact through submission.
News: Optimal Blue announces initial speaker lineup for 2027 Summit
Mortgage and Finance News: (PLANO, Texas) Optimal Blue today announced its initial speaker lineup for its 2027 Optimal Blue Summit, including Analyst, ESPN Monday Night Football, 3-Time Super Bowl-Winning Quarterback, Pro Football Hall of Famer Troy Aikman. The third annual event shaping what's next in mortgage will take place February 1-3, 2027 at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort and Spa in Scottsdale, Ariz.
News: Click n’ Close names Blake Priest director of whole loan trading
Mortgage and Finance News: (ADDISON, Texas) Click n' Close, a multi-state mortgage lender, today announced that mortgage industry veteran Blake Priest has joined the company as director of whole loan trading. In this role, Priest will lead the company's scratch and dent purchasing, giving correspondent partners another outlet for loans that fall outside traditional investor guidelines.
News: Optimal Blue report: Mortgage demand slips below year-ago levels as rate-and-term refi activity plunges
Mortgage and Finance News: (PLANO, Texas) Optimal Blue today released its August 2026 Market Advantage mortgage data report, which found that mortgage activity continued to soften in August even as rates leveled off. Total rate-lock volume declined 9% month over month (MoM) and slipped 3% below August 2025 levels. Purchase lock volume fell 10% from July but remained 6% higher year over year (YoY), with purchase loans accounting for nearly 81% of total lock volume.
News: FirstClose Chief Revenue Officer John Aslanian named a 2026 HousingWire Vanguard
Mortgage and Finance News: (AUSTIN, Texas) FirstClose™, a leading fintech provider of data and workflow solutions for home equity and mortgage lenders nationwide, announced today that John Aslanian, chief revenue officer, has been named a 2026 HousingWire Vanguard. The award recognizes C-level executives across mortgage, real estate and homebuilding for leadership that has driven measurable impact on their organizations and the broader housing economy over the past year.
News: FirstClose expands MeridianLink partnership to serve home equity lenders in mortgage divisions
Mortgage and Finance News: (AUSTIN, Texas) FirstClose™, a leading fintech provider of data and workflow solutions for home equity and mortgage lenders nationwide, announced today that it has launched an integration with MeridianLink to bring its home equity order management capabilities directly into the MeridianLink Mortgage loan origination system (LOS). The integration extends FirstClose's existing MeridianLink partnership to help support lenders that manage home equity originations within their mortgage division.
News: Optimal Blue report: Rising rates cool July mortgage activity, but demand remains above year-ago levels
Mortgage and Finance News: (PLANO, Texas) Optimal Blue today released its July 2026 Market Advantage mortgage data report, which found that mortgage activity softened as rising rates weighed on both purchase and refinance demand. Total rate-lock volume declined 11% month over month (MoM) but remained 5% above July 2025.
News: Optimal Blue Continues AI Innovation Leadership with Expanded Access to Virtual Economist and Launch of AI Labs
Mortgage and Finance News: (PLANO, Texas) Optimal Blue today announced the general availability of Virtual Economist, the first on-demand forecasting tool for mortgage capital markets leaders powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML). Revealed in beta at the annual Optimal Blue Summit in February 2026, Virtual Economist is now available to all Optimal Blue Product, Pricing, and Eligibility (PPE) Engine and CompassEdge clients at no added cost.
News: FirstClose Director of Professional Services Adam Nicholson named 2026 HousingWire Insider
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 Adam Nicholson, director of professional services, has been named a 2026 HousingWire Insider. The award recognizes operational leaders across the mortgage, real estate and homebuilding industries whose behind-the-scenes work drives measurable impact within their organizations.
News: NotaryCam’s Olen Dalton Honored as 2026 HousingWire Insider
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 Quality Assurance (QA) Manager Olen Dalton has been recognized as a HousingWire Insider. The award honors operational leaders working behind the scenes to drive innovation, efficiency and growth in mortgage and real estate.
News: Velocity Expands Member Benefits with Comprehensive Insurance Solutions
Mortgage and Finance News: (AUSTIN, Texas) Velocity Credit Union is making it easier for members to protect what matters most by offering access to a wide range of insurance solutions through trusted industry partners. From home and vehicle insurance to business protection and specialty coverage, members can now explore insurance options designed to fit their unique needs and budgets.
News: Click n’ Close named one of USDA’s Top Wholesale Lenders for 2026
Mortgage and Finance News: (ADDISON, Texas) Click n' Close, a multi-state mortgage lender, received a USDA 2026 Top Wholesale Lender award. The award was presented today at USDA Rural Development's National Lender of the Year Awards Ceremony in Washington, D.C.
News: NotaryCam President Brian Webster named a 2026 Inman Best in Finance honoree
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 Brian Webster has been recognized as a 2026 Inman Best in Finance award winner.
News: Optimal Blue report: Mortgage demand strengthens as purchase activity and pull-through rebound
Mortgage and Finance News: (PLANO, Texas) Optimal Blue today released its June 2026 Market Advantage mortgage data report, which found that mortgage activity strengthened month over month (MoM), with purchase lock volume climbing to its highest level since early spring and pull-through rates rebounding across both purchase and refinance pipelines. Total rate-lock volume rose 10% MoM and 15% year over year (YoY).
News: Click n’ Close names Merv Govender chief information officer
Mortgage and Finance News: (ADDISON, Texas) Click n' Close, a multi-state mortgage lender, today announced the appointment of Merv Govender as chief information officer (CIO). Govender brings more than 27 years of technology leadership across the banking, gaming and healthcare industries. As CIO, he will lead Click n' Close's technology development and deployment strategy.
News: FirstClose CEO Tedd Smith named to 2026 National Mortgage Professional Legends of Lending
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 Tedd Smith, chief executive officer, has been named to the 2026 National Mortgage Professional Legends of Lending. The honor recognizes mortgage professionals who have made enduring contributions to the industry through innovation, leadership and long-term impact.
News: Velocity Credit Union Announces Relocation and Grand Opening of New Southwest Austin Branch
Mortgage and Finance News: (AUSTIN, Texas) Velocity Credit Union is proud to celebrate the opening of its new Southwest Austin branch, a modern, expanded facility designed to better serve its growing membership across Central Texas. Located at 3419 Davis Lane, Austin, TX 78745, the full-service branch opened in late May and offers enhanced convenience, expanded services, and a welcoming space for members and the community.
News: Optimal Blue report: Purchase market remains resilient as pull-through rates weaken
Mortgage and Finance News: (PLANO, Texas) Optimal Blue today released its May 2026 Market Advantage mortgage data report, which found that mortgage activity continued to cool as higher rates weighed on both purchase and refinance demand. Total rate-lock volume declined 9% month over month (MoM) but remained 7% higher year over year (YoY). Purchase activity continued to dominate production, accounting for just over 81% of total lock volume, while refinance share fell to 19%, its lowest level since June 2025.
News: FirstClose VP of marketing David Bolin named 2026 HousingWire Marketing Leader
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 David Bolin, vice president of marketing, has been named a 2026 HousingWire Marketing Leader, recognizing his strategic vision, measurable business impact and ability to translate complex lending technology into compelling market narratives.
News: FirstClose’s Andria Lightfoot named 2026 Women of Tech Award Winner by Mortgage Women Magazine
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 Andria Lightfoot, vice president of client success, has been named a 2026 Mortgage Women Magazine (MWM) Women of Tech Award winner, recognizing her leadership, innovation and impact advancing mortgage technology and supporting women in the industry.
News: Click n’ Close expands Whole Loan Trading division with engagement of Christy Soukhamneut and Launch Point Advisory Group
Mortgage and Finance News: (ADDISON, Texas) Click n' Close, a multi-state mortgage lender, announced strategic engagement of Christy Soukhamneut and Launch Point Advisory Group to support the expansion of its Whole Loan Trading division. The move is part of a broader initiative to grow Click n' Close's secondary market presence and offer whole loan trading opportunities across its government and specialty loan programs.
News: Watkins Insurance Group Expands Private Client Practice with Addition of Industry Veteran Patrick McFadden
Mortgage and Finance News: (AUSTIN, Texas) Watkins Insurance Group, a leading independent insurance agency in Texas, has announced the addition of Patrick McFadden as a Private Client Insurance Advisor. McFadden brings 30 years of insurance experience and holds the LUTC and FSCP professional designations. His hire reflects the agency's continued commitment to serving the Austin metro market and specifically the growing segment of individuals and families whose lifestyles and assets require a more tailored approach to coverage strategy and personal service.
News: Optimal Blue report: Purchase demand holds firm as April lock activity cools
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.