From automation to intelligence: Why enterprise AI mortgage operations are reshaping the industry

Artificial intelligence has introduced hundreds of tools to the mortgage industry, but many lenders are still struggling with rising costs, fragmented workflows and inconsistent productivity. According to Siddhartha Agarwal, CEO of JazzX AI, the next phase of AI adoption isn’t about adding another a

The Holiday acquisition is about Daiwa House’s next decade

The long game Was never about one Acquisition Viewed through a sharply narrowed lens of a single transaction, Holiday Builders adds another respected, cycle-tested, deeply regionally invested homebuilder to Stanley Martin Homes‘ growing portfolio. However, through the panoramic landscape lens of Dai

M/I, Meritage team up to fund $7.6M bridge to growth in a Texas town

A new public-private partnership in Central Texas solves for a common stumbling block for homebuilders, who face having to balance home price affordability with the public infrastructure investments their projects often require. On Friday, the City of Buda, TX, located about 15 miles south of Austin

Compass moves from AI content creation to AI task execution in Home Platform

Compass International Holdings has introduced AI Assistant, a conversational agent embedded across its new Home Platform that lets real estate professionals describe what they want to do and have the system complete tasks on their behalf, the company announced Monday. The launch comes just weeks aft

AD Mortgage flags condo reserve rules in FHFA letter

AD Mortgage has launched a public policy initiative aimed at increasing its engagement with federal and state policymakers on housing finance issues, beginning with recommendations to the Federal Housing Finance Agency regarding condominium financing. The initiative has already taken off running. In

How high can mortgage rates go with Iran conflict 2.0? 

It’s Monday and the Iran conflict looks like it will hit its 10th day straight of renewed missile and drone attacks. Oil prices are up a smidge today and the question now is: how much higher can mortgage rates go with so much already priced into the markets?  10-year yield and mortgage rates In the

NEXA Lending and former partner Mat Grella end legal fight

NEXA Lending CEO Mike Kortas said he has reached a global settlement with former business partner Mat Grella, ending a years-long legal battle over the ownership and control of the brokerage and several related entities. The agreement, reached in mediation and finalized on Monday, resolves “every si

Windermere names Diana Wall chief growth officer

Windermere Real Estate has created the role of chief growth officer and hired longtime industry executive Diana Wall to lead expansion across the company’s independent brokerage platform, the firm announced Monday. Wall brings nearly 30 years of residential real estate experience to the Seattle-base

Can the housing market weather Iran conflict 2.0 and higher rates?

The housing market has held its own this year — even with higher inflation, higher oil prices, higher mortgage rates, and crazy headlines about AI taking all the jobs. But mortgage rates are right at a key level now and with the Iran conflict entering its 2.0 stage, can housing hold up?  Today’s tra

California condo defect liability bill on deck after recess

Coming out of summer recess, California lawmakers will tackle condominium construction defect legislation that has cleared committees and passed one chamber. Assembly Bill 1903 is one of two condo bills introduced this year by state lawmakers. It would change condo construction defect liability rule

How ROAD aims to boost housing supply and cut red tape

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which went into effect on July 11, includes a host of pro-housing provisions aimed at making housing easier to build and cutting red tape.  The nearly 400-page bill contains provisions aimed at streamlining federal reviews, supporting factory-built housing, expa

Most retirement savers want an ‘easy button’ for planning

J.P. Morgan Asset Management has released its 2026 Defined Contribution (DC) Plan Participant Survey, finding that retirement plan participants — particularly younger workers — increasingly expect employers to provide more guidance and support as they plan for retirement. The biennial survey examine

What the ROAD to Housing Act can — and can’t — do for affordability

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is now law, marking what many in the housing industry consider the most significant federal housing legislation in more than three decades. The bipartisan measure aims to increase housing supply by reducing regulatory barriers, streamlining permitting, modernizin

Newrez servicing arm sued in New Jersey over alleged RESPA violations

A New Jersey homeowner has filed a lawsuit against Newrez LLC, dba Shellpoint Mortgage Servicing, alleging the company engaged in years of unfair mortgage servicing practices that deprived her of a meaningful opportunity to avoid foreclosure. The complaint, filed in the Superior Court of New Jersey,

Why Aaron Kirman is betting on AI, crypto and new development

According to Aaron Kirman, much of his success in the real estate industry first as a solo agent, then as a team leader and now as a brokerage CEO, has come from keeping his finger on the pulse of the industry and taking a critical approach to his business.  “Life is always an evolution and you don’

June housing starts jump 19%, fueled by strong multifamily gains

Residential construction activity picked up in June, but the gains were concentrated in multifamily, and future supply indicators softened, according to newly released U.S. Census Bureau data.  Privately owned housing starts rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of roughly 1.3 million units in J

UHM acquires AmeriTrust assets, expands non-QM footprint

Union Home Mortgage Corp. (UHM) has acquired AmeriTrust Mortgage Corp. in an asset deal that closed in 45 days, boosting UHM’s exposure to the nonqualified mortgage (non-QM) market. Financial terms were not disclosed. “There have been long-term relationships between some of the senior executives on

Housing permits near cycle lows even as housing starts beat estimates

Housing starts beating estimates while housing permits are near cycle lows is an odd situation, but I am here to make sense of it and explain where exactly we are in the housing construction cycle. First, we have to always remember that housing starts are a very volatile number with a lot of revisio

RiskSpan releases credit risk model built for non-QM loans

RiskSpan has launched a new credit risk model designed for the expanding nonqualified mortgage (non-QM) market, adding to its existing prepayment modeling tools as investors seek more specialized analytics for the asset class. The company announced Friday the general availability of Credit Model 7.1

Stanley Martin buying Holiday Builders highlights hyper-scale shift

Homebuilding scale is arriving at the midway point through a structural inflection. The latest evidence arrived Thursday, as Stanley Martin Homes announced it had entered an agreement to acquire Florida-based Holiday Builders, a transaction that will add approximately 1,050 annual home closings, mor