Scaling from Freelancer to Business Owner

More mortgage professionals told National Mortgage News they expect their companies to hire, or stand pat, rather than fire workers this year. View the full article

The Mortgage Bankers Association latest forecast reflects the industry's current views on where their business is going, said Mike Fratantoni. View the full article

A Community Home Lenders of America adds arguments against use of single bureau while another paper takes the position that the idea merits further study. View the full article

Home loan players are diverting technology budgets to cover back-office operations, after big spending in a downcycle, counter to historical patterns. View the full article

Rate discounts are available for both refinance and purchase mortgage applications from several lenders including UWM, Carrington, Chase and Silver Hill. View the full article

Overall, three-quarters of those in a National Mortgage News survey believe loan production will increase during 2026, but just 15% felt strongly about it. View the full article

New limits on trigger leads push originators toward first-party data, past customers and referral networks as they rethink how to reach borrowers. View the full article

Last year highlighted the risks for banks in lending to nondepository financial institutions. A new approach by The President-era regulators could change the playing field. View the full article

Lebda led the company through its initial public offering in 2000, and its sale about three years later to IAC Inc. In 2008, Lebda joined the newly rebranded LendingTree as it spun out as a separate company. View the full article

The complaint claims Lendingtree and its subsidiary failed to implement proper protocols, such as two factor authentication, to keep customer data safe.

Lennar's first fiscal quarter earnings were down by more than half after three years of persistent trials which are testing consumer confidence and sentiment. View the full article

The push by some The President officials to bring charges against James had stalled as former U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert determined their wasn't enough evidence. View the full article

Legal and compliance overtook verification issues as the top cause for application defects during the fourth quarter, according to Aces Quality Management. View the full article

Instances of miscommunication between servicers and borrowers have declined, but some warn that CFPB stepping back from enforcement could create oversight gaps. View the full article

Independent mortgage bankers were in the black for each loan originated during the third quarter, as low rates brought an application surge in September. View the full article

In their decision to send the case to a lower court, appellate court judges said the servicer's handling of borrowers' mortgage payments was still unclear. View the full article

The megalender is accusing a nearby brokerage of skirting labor laws and avoiding significant overhead costs in misclassifying hundreds of employees. View the full article

The company dropped the broker channel just months after Frank Martell became CEO; now that Anthony Hsieh is running things again, Loandepot brought it back. View the full article

CEO Anthony Hsieh said refinances should provide notable benefit to its direct lending unit a day after LoanDepot announced a return to the wholesale channel. View the full article

The partnership with homebuilder Onx Homes, the company's ninth joint venture, gives Loandepot more solid footing in the South. View the full article

Plaintiffs accusing the lender of steering them to higher rates cited comments LOs made under oath describing elements of the alleged scheme. View the full article

The Irvine, California-based firm reported a net loss of $67.5 million in the fourth quarter. View the full article

The lender is seeking to dismiss the lawsuit, calling the purported scheme to also deprive its loan officers of full compensation implausible. View the full article

Company leaders said current strategy sets it up to profit and compete against its rivals as the mortgage market improves in the coming months. View the full article

AIME's CEO takes an additional AI leadership role, ALTA elects new president and Revolution, Tidalwave, Visio welcome chief operating officers. View the full article