Verification first: Why mortgage lending must rethink income — and how it actually works

For decades, mortgage underwriting has followed the same basic structure: verify income, review credit, apply ratios, and make a decision. The tools have improved. The thinking largely hasn’t. Automated systems like Desktop Underwriter and Loan Product Advisor can process loans faster than ever. But

Nationwide Mortgage Bankers taps Herrera as president of Hispanic homeownership division

Americasa, a division of Nationwide Mortgage Bankers (NMB), has promoted Yasser Valdes Herrera to president. Since December 2023, he has been based in Miami and has served as vice president of Americasa, a Spanish-language mortgage platform helping the Hispanic community achieve homeownership. “Yass

HousingWire Mortgage Rankings: How top LOs dominated government lending in 2025

Loan officer Jason Smith, a U.S. Navy veteran who spent five years as an air traffic controller, entered the mortgage business 21 years ago. Reflecting on the similarities between the two careers, he said that he “didn’t have that epiphany until years later that you have to be in control of the situ

A capital-light, local model could power this off-site builder’s plan to scale

While numerous firms in the residential off-site construction space push the limits of innovation, one company is distinguishing itself through a deeply localized approach to expansion across North America. Massachusetts-based Reframe Systems is betting that its microfactory concept, which relies on

Trending: employer housing benefits narrow affordability gaps

A growing number of private sector employers have quietly begun offering workers a benefit that helps them live closer to the office at a price they can afford. As housing costs soar, it has been policymakers nationwide who’ve hogged the headlines, zeroing in on zoning reform and regulatory rollback

Click n’ Close appoints Delores Lopez chief operating officer

Click n’ Close announced its appointment of Delores Lopez as chief operating officer, effective Monday. In this role, Lopez will lead operations, drive scalable growth initiatives and implement operational strategy across the organization — reporting to company President Ian Kimball. “I’m pleased to

Reverse Focus acquires Apiro Marketing to broaden mortgage services

Redding, California-based Reverse Focus announced April 3 that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Apiro Marketing as it looks to expand beyond reverse mortgages and deepen its marketing and content offerings for the broader U.S. mortgage industry. Reverse Focus operates a marketin

Largest NYC Coldwell Banker affiliate launches new, independent firm called MYNY

Coldwell Banker Reliable Real Estate — formerly the largest Coldwell Banker franchise affiliate in New York City — has launched a new independent brokerage, MYNY. The company is now in its 20th year in business, with 18 of those spent under the Coldwell Banker banner. Office locations include Brookl

ICE Mortgage Monitor shows serious delinquencies up 25% in four-month span

Mortgage delinquency rates are increasing modestly from historic low points as declining cure rates push more borrowers into serious distress, even as affordability has improved on a year-over-year basis, according to Intercontinental Exchange (ICE)’s April 2026 Mortgage Monitor. The report, which d

Presupposition is the mistake:  Why housing marketing doesn’t meet the bar

Though I’ve never taken a marketing class, I remember fellow students quoting the famous Philip Kotler, who said that marketing is “the creation of demand.”  Simplistic to be sure, but a useful shorthand for that many-splendored thing that many of us do for a living.  We market to create demand, whi

How is the housing market weathering war-time economics?

War-time economics have, of course, sent gas prices skyrocketing, but have also pushed mortgage rates higher over the last five weeks, from a low of 5.99% to a high of 6.64%. Rates have fallen a bit recently, but higher rates have slowed some of the housing data down. In the past, mortgage rates abo

So far, 2026 job growth is better than 2025 

As crazy as this may sound, the jobs data in 2026 has improved from the levels of 2025. That’s how low the bar was this year for growth and today’s jobs report reaffirmed that. Now, with a bar so low we can all trip over it, context is key. Over the last six months of job creation, we averaged 15,00

NYC builds taller housing again, as state, city law reset the stage

New York City is increasing housing density, though much of the early progress stems from state law changes and rezonings that predate Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration. Those moves are now starting to show up in steel and concrete, even as Mamdani advances his own housing agenda. The clearest e

Northwest MLS accuses Compass of deceptive ‘pocket listing’ scheme in counterclaim

Northwest Multiple Listing Service has filed counterclaims in federal court against Compass, alleging the brokerage’s “three-phase marketing program” is a deceptive scheme that hides listing data from the public and violates Washington’s Consumer Protection Act. In the filing, the Kirkland, Wash.-ba

NRMLA webinar to cover reverse servicing and maturity events

An upcoming industry webinar hosted by the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association (NRMLA) aims to demystify what happens to a reverse mortgage long after closing, serving as an educational component for loan officers and the seniors they serve. The April 9 webinar, “From Boarding to Maturity:

Better bets on ChatGPT as the new front door for origination

Better.com says that its new integration with ChatGPT is more than a flashy plugin. According to CEO Vishal Garg, it’s a tool that could shift how mortgage technology is distributed and adopted across the industry. In early March, Better announced the conversational credit decision engine that allow

Texas SB 17 has reshaped foreign capital in homebuilding

America’s largest homebuilders no longer just build subdivisions. Rather, they’re consolidating power. Scale is the new advantage, land is the new currency, and increasingly, ownership structure is the new danger. Foreign capital hasn’t pulled back from U.S. housing. It’s being organized. Japanese f

Join the most powerful room in housing at The Gathering April 27-30

HousingWire will host The Gathering from April 27-30 in Austin, Texas, bringing together real estate, mortgage and homebuilding executives for four days of networking and strategy sessions. Billed as “the most powerful room in housing,” The Gathering is designed for leaders across the housing ecosys

PartnerOne finalizes acquisition of Mortgage Cadence

PartnerOne has completed its acquisition of Mortgage Cadence, adding another long-standing mortgage technology platform to the portfolio of the global enterprise software group, the company announced Thursday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The transaction was previously announced as an agree

Century 21 Integra expands Chicago presence with acquisition

Century 21 Integra has acquired Schaumburg, Illinois-based Realty Executives Advance — expanding its presence in Chicago’s northwest suburbs. “Bringing Realty Executives Advance into the Integra family is a natural fit,” said Jim D’Amico, owner of Century 21 Integra. “Hank (Fatoorehchi) and his team