Mortgage News

Mortgage News – including news related to the mortgage industry, lenders, loan origination, fintech, home financing, compliance, mortgage technology, and related mortgage industry news from the Send2Press Newswire service.


Atlantic Bay helps Roc Solid Foundation pack 16,000 Ready Bags for families facing childhood cancer

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., Sept. 24, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group LLC (Atlantic Bay) joined nearly 1,800 volunteers at Norfolk Scope Arena on September 18 for Roc Solid Foundation’s inaugural Ready Bag Rally. In less than two hours, volunteers packed 16,000 Ready Bags to support families navigating a childhood cancer diagnosis. The rally was Roc Solid’s first Ready Bag packing event of this scale.

Friday Harbor adds AI-pre-underwriting support for investor and DSCR loans

SEATTLE, Wash., Sept. 23, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Friday Harbor, an AI pre-underwriting platform that helps loan officers assemble complete and compliant loan files in real time, today announced expanded support for investor loans, including debt service coverage ratio (DSCR) loans. The new capability builds on Friday Harbor’s recently launched non-qualified mortgage support.

ACES Quality Management launches ACES Population Testing

DENVER, Colo., Sept. 21, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — ACES Quality Management®, the leading provider of enterprise quality management and control software for the financial services industry, announced today the launch of ACES Population Testing™, which evaluates a financial institution’s loan origination pipelines and servicing portfolios against its defined policies and identifies the records that warrant a reviewer’s attention.

FirstClose introduces Lender Portal to manage home equity borrower leads in one workspace

AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 17, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — 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.

Tim Cox rejoins Informative Research to lead the company’s business process automation efforts

GARDEN GROVE, Calif., Sept. 17, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Informative Research (IR), a leading technology provider of data-driven credit and verification solutions for the lending industry, today announced that Tim Cox has rejoined the IR leadership team as executive vice president of business process automation. In this role, Tim will apply his industry expertise to support the company and help its clients work more efficiently and intelligently.

Analysis: iEmergent’s 2025 U.S. mortgage forecasts closely track HMDA actuals

DES MOINES, Iowa, Sept. 16, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — iEmergent, a forecasting and advisory services firm for the financial services, mortgage and real estate industries, today released a new analysis validating its 2025 forecasts against actual Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data. The analysis, which uses final 2025 HMDA data released by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council on June 23, 2026, spans every geographic level from national down to individual census tracts.

Argyle extends its mortgage verification experience to the wholesale channel with the launch of a broker-branded borrower experience

NEW YORK CITY, N.Y., Sept. 16, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Argyle, the leading consumer-permissioned verification platform, today announced the launch of a new solution that enables wholesale mortgage lenders to extend income, employment, and asset verification across their broker networks with a broker-branded borrower experience. The solution is available through Argyle’s Verification API as well as through Encompass® TPO Connect from ICE Mortgage Technology®.

Atlantic Bay builds on Southern growth with expansion into Louisiana

BATON ROUGE, La. and VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., Sept. 15, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group LLC (Atlantic Bay) today announced the opening of its first Louisiana branch in Baton Rouge, extending its’ presence across the South and giving Louisiana homebuyers access to a wide range of mortgage options, local expertise, and the technology and resources of an established lender.

Vesta Customers Gain Access to Mezzo’s One-to-Many Operating Architecture

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, Calif., Sept. 14, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Mezzo, creator of the mortgage industry’s first one-to-many operating architecture for third-party services, today announced an integration with Vesta, the AI-native loan origination system (LOS) and agent platform built to automate and accelerate mortgage operations. Mezzo launches with a single gateway across verification providers.

Vice Capital Markets expands bid tape capabilities to include VantageScore data

NOVI, Mich., Sept. 10, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Vice Capital Markets, a leading mortgage hedge advisory firm for independent lenders, banks and credit unions, today announced that its capital markets platform now supports the inclusion of VantageScore™ credit scores on mortgage bid tapes, providing lenders and investors with greater visibility into loan-level credit characteristics during the secondary market execution process.

Friday Harbor’s AI pre-underwriting platform integrates to the Freddie Mac Income Calculator API

SEATTLE, Wash., Sept. 10, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Friday Harbor, an AI pre-underwriting platform that helps loan officers assemble complete and compliant loan files in real time, today announced its integration to the Freddie Mac Income Calculator API. Lenders can now determine calculated monthly income for wage earners, including borrowers with variable income, in minutes while helping preserve eligibility for certain representation and warranty (R&W) relief tied to the income calculation.

Optimal Blue announces initial speaker lineup for 2027 Summit

PLANO, Texas, Sept. 9, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — 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.

ACES Quality Management subject matter experts to address AI, mortgage quality at leading mortgage and credit union industry conferences

DENVER, Colo., Sept. 9, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — ACES Quality Management®, the leading provider of enterprise quality management and control software for the financial services industry, announced today that three senior professionals will speak at two fall industry conferences including MBA’s Compliance and Risk Management Conference, Sept. 27-29 at the Grand Hyatt Washington in Washington, D.C., and the America’s Credit Unions Lending Council Conference, Nov. 3-6 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

Fairway Home Mortgage Announces Opening of New Phoenix Branch

PHOENIX, Ariz., Sept. 9, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Fairway Home Mortgage and the Kanyur Reverse Team are proud to announce the opening of a new branch location in Phoenix, Arizona. The new office, located at 11811 N. Tatum Blvd., Suite 1002, Phoenix, AZ 85028, represents an exciting milestone in the team’s continued commitment to serving homeowners throughout Arizona with specialized retirement lending solutions.

Argyle expands Tidalwave integration to unify income, employment and asset verification with real-time operability to Encompass

NEW YORK CITY, N.Y., Sept. 9, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Argyle, the leading consumer-permissioned verification platform, today announced an expanded integration with Tidalwave, an agentic AI platform that automates the full U.S. mortgage lifecycle from application through closing. Argyle and Tidalwave partnered in 2025 to embed Argyle’s verification of income and employment (VOIE) solution into Tidalwave’s borrower workflow through payroll connectivity.

Click n’ Close names Blake Priest director of whole loan trading

ADDISON, Texas, Sept. 8, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — 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.

Optimal Blue report: Mortgage demand slips below year-ago levels as rate-and-term refi activity plunges

PLANO, Texas, Sept. 8, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — 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.

Dark Matter names Salvatore Piccola and Gil Valera to product strategy, professional services leadership roles

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Sept. 3, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Dark Matter Technologies (Dark Matter), an innovative leader in mortgage technology, today announced it has expanded its leadership team with two experienced executives: Salvatore Piccola as senior vice president of product strategy and Gil Valera as vice president of professional services. The additions strengthen two areas central to Dark Matter’s growth strategy: innovation focused on using AI to improve customer experience, help lenders realize efficiencies, and drive seamless implementation and adoption of its product capabilities.

FirstClose expands MeridianLink partnership to serve home equity lenders in mortgage divisions

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 26, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — 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.

Dark Matter’s latest POS release brings real-time document validation to the point of sale

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Aug. 21, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Dark Matter Technologies (Dark Matter®), an innovative leader in mortgage technology, today announced its latest point-of-sale (POS) release, bringing document validation powered by Aiva Intelligence to the earliest stage of the lending process. By validating borrower documents at upload instead of later in the review process, lenders can identify issues sooner, provide immediate guidance to borrowers and reduce downstream conditions and rework.

ACES Q1 2026 Mortgage QC Industry Trends Report shows critical defect rate reverses course as compliance defects reach record share

DENVER, Colo., Aug. 18, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — ACES Quality Management® (ACES), the leading provider of enterprise quality management and control software for the financial services industry, announced the release of its quarterly ACES Mortgage QC Industry Trends Report covering Q1 of 2026. The report analyzes post-closing quality control data derived from the ACES Quality Management & Control® software.

The Mortgage Collaborative Names Down Payment Resource’s Brad Cardwell to Partner Advisory Council

ATLANTA, Ga., Aug. 17, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Down Payment Resource (DPR), the housing industry’s leading affordability intelligence platform, today announced that Brad Cardwell, vice president of sales and business development, has been named to The Mortgage Collaborative’s (TMC) Partner Advisory Council. The council brings together TMC’s preferred partners to promote fair, transparent and efficient practices through open dialogue and coordinated initiatives.

Friday Harbor brings AI pre-underwriting to complex loans as non-QM volume reaches record highs

SEATTLE, Wash., Aug. 11, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Friday Harbor, an AI pre-underwriting platform that helps loan officers assemble complete and compliant loan files in real time, today announced expanded support for non-qualified mortgage (non-QM) and other non-agency lending programs, enabling lenders to evaluate a broader range of complex borrower scenarios against investor-specific guidelines before underwriting.

Down Payment Resource named to the 2026 Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in America

ATLANTA, Ga., Aug. 11, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Down Payment Resource (DPR), the housing industry’s leading affordability intelligence platform, today announced it has earned a spot on the 2026 Inc. 5000 list of the nation’s fastest-growing privately owned companies after achieving significant revenue growth from 2022 to 2025. DPR was also honored on the 2023 and 2025 Inc. 5000 lists.

Optimal Blue report: Rising rates cool July mortgage activity, but demand remains above year-ago levels

PLANO, Texas, Aug. 11, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — 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.

Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group named a Hampton Roads Top Workplace

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., Aug. 10, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group LLC (Atlantic Bay) is proud to announce it has been recognized among Hampton Roads’ Top Workplaces by the Virginian-Pilot. The annual recognition honors employers that create exceptional workplace experiences, with recipients determined through confidential employee survey feedback.

Optimal Blue Continues AI Innovation Leadership with Expanded Access to Virtual Economist and Launch of AI Labs

PLANO, Texas, Aug. 10, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — 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.

Halo Programs Launches Self-Service CRM Registration While Preserving White-Glove Service

COMMERCE TOWNSHIP, Mich., Aug. 5, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Halo Programs, formerly Continuity Programs, today announced the launch of self-service online registration across its industry-specific CRM and relationship marketing platforms serving mortgage lenders, real estate brokerages and residential contractors. Professionals can now activate an account in a few clicks, eliminating the wait for a sales call before getting started.

Argyle names John Hardesty chief revenue officer, Daniel Esquibel vice president of mortgage

NEW YORK CITY, N.Y., Aug. 4, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Argyle, the leading consumer-permissioned verification platform, today announced two executive promotions-longstanding leaders stepping into expanded roles, backed by deep product knowledge built from growing within the company. John Hardesty has been named chief revenue officer and Daniel Esquibel has been promoted to vice president of mortgage.

Head of AI Platform and Products Kunal Patel named to HousingWire’s 2026 Insiders list

LOS ALTOS, Calif., Aug. 3, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — JazzX AI, an enterprise AI company purpose-built for the mortgage industry, today announced that Kunal Patel, head of AI platform and products, has been named to HousingWire’s Insiders list for 2026. The annual Insiders award recognizes the behind-the-scenes operational leaders who are vital to their organizations’ success and driving innovation across mortgage and real estate.

Informative Research launches next iteration of AccountChek for enhanced mortgage asset, income and employment verification

GARDEN GROVE, Calif., July 28, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Informative Research (IR), a leading technology provider of data-driven credit and verification solutions for the lending industry, today announced the launch of the next iteration of AccountChek®, its flagship verification solution. Rebuilt from the ground up and unified with the IR Verification Platform, AccountChek is designed to scale as lenders’ verification needs evolve and is expected to deliver faster performance, improved reliability and a smoother borrower experience.

Down Payment Resource identifies 2,746 homeownership programs nationwide in Q2 2026

ATLANTA, Ga., July 22, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Down Payment Resource (DPR), the housing industry’s leading technology for connecting homebuyers with homeownership programs, today released its Q2 2026 Homeownership Program Index (HPI) report, identifying 2,746 programs nationwide. The total represents an increase of 67 programs from Q1 2026, reflecting continued expansion of resources designed to improve affordability and access to homeownership, and is a new survey high.

Informative Research names Ajay Trilokeshwaran chief technology officer

GARDEN GROVE, Calif., July 21, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Informative Research (IR), a leading technology provider of data-driven credit and verification solutions for the lending industry, today announced the promotion of Ajay Trilokeshwaran to chief technology officer (CTO). In his new role, Trilokeshwaran will lead the company’s product and technology execution, overseeing platform development, application engineering, infrastructure and cloud strategy to support business growth.

Friday Harbor adds USDA loans to its AI pre-underwriting platform

SEATTLE, Wash., July 21, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Friday Harbor, an AI pre-underwriting platform that helps loan officers assemble complete and compliant loan files in real time, today announced support for USDA loans. The new capability enables lenders to identify documentation gaps, eligibility issues and changes that require updated Guaranteed Underwriting System (GUS) findings before loan files reach underwriting, helping reduce rework and deliver a more predictable path to closing for both lending teams and borrowers.

Volume growth from existing staff ranks as lenders’ top priority for the second half of 2026, The Mortgage Collaborative’s survey finds

SAN DIEGO, Calif., July 20, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The Mortgage Collaborative (TMC), the nation’s largest independent cooperative network for mortgage lenders, today released results from its June 2026 Pulse of the Network survey. The biannual survey gathered input from mortgage lenders, including independent mortgage banks, credit unions and depository institutions, on strategic priorities heading into the second half of 2026.

Click n’ Close named one of USDA’s Top Wholesale Lenders for 2026

ADDISON, Texas, July 16, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — 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.

Vice Capital Markets names Terry Aikin, CMB as executive vice president, strategic growth

NOVI, Mich., July 14, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Vice Capital Markets, a leading mortgage hedge advisory firm for independent lenders, banks and credit unions, today announced the appointment of Terry Aikin as executive vice president, strategic growth. Aikin will focus on expanding Vice Capital’s customer base, strengthening existing client relationships and identifying new market opportunities.

LodeStar Integrates with Dark Matter Technologies’ Empower® LOS Platform

CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa., July 14, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — LodeStar Software Solutions (LodeStar), the leading provider of mortgage closing cost and fee data, today announced that it is integrated with Dark Matter Technologies (Dark Matter®). LodeStar’s Closing Cost Calculator is now available in Empower® loan origination system (Empower), developed in conjunction with the Dark Matter Developer Platform.

Class Valuation verified by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to support new Uniform Property Data Report specification

TROY, Mich., July 9, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Class Valuation, a leading real estate appraisal management company (AMC), has been verified by Fannie Mae® and Freddie Mac (the government-sponsored enterprises, or GSEs) to support the Uniform Property Data Report (UPDR) specification under Uniform Property Dataset (UPD) Version 1.0. Use of the UPDR is mandatory for mortgages with applications received on or after June 30, 2026.

Optimal Blue report: Mortgage demand strengthens as purchase activity and pull-through rebound

PLANO, Texas, July 9, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — 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).