Author name: Ricky Vasquez

For decades, mortgage lending has been built around a single objective: to make homeownership affordable. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage became the dominant structure because it lowers monthly payments, expands borrower eligibility, and fits cleanly into underwriting frameworks built around debt-to-income ratios. It works—and it worked at scale. But in optimizing for affordability, the industry made […]

Builders are generating more online leads than ever, but many are missing what matters most: speed. The homebuying journey now begins with an online inquiry, a form submission or a request for pricing and the outcome is increasingly determined by how quickly a builder responds. New Home Star is working with builders to address this

Mortgage originators had to scratch for every loan they closed last year, as seen in the highly unusual circumstance of the fourth quarter being the year’s strongest. As a result, 2025 found a slight increase in volume among our survey respondents. Processing Content Last year, the No. 250 originator produced just under $25 million; this