Origination

Which is better for mortgage — FICO or VantageScore?

Credit Score, Fannie Mae, FHFA, FICO, Freddie Mac, HWmember, LendingLife, Mortgage, Origination, Regulatory, VantageScore / Ricky Vasquez

VantageScore and FICO have escalated their rivalry in the mortgage space following the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) decision to allow Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to purchase loans underwritten with VantageScore 4.0 as an alternative to the Classic FICO score. Both companies published analyses this week from their data scientists. Naturally, each claims their score more […]

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The Rolling Stones, real estate, and reality checks

Contributors, HWmember, Mortgage, Mortgage Rates, Opinion, Origination / Ricky Vasquez

In 1969, The Rolling Stones gifted us their 10th studio album, Let It Bleed. Tucked away as the final track, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” started life as a B-side to “Honky Tonk Women” before becoming an anthem for an entire generation. Here’s the kicker: this iconic track never actually hit number one.

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VantageScore 4.0 is coming. But much work needs to be done

Bill Pulte, Fannie Mae, FHFA, FICO, Freddie Mac, HWmember, LendingLife, Mortgage, Origination, Regulatory, VantageScore / Ricky Vasquez

In the days following the announcement that VantageScore 4.0 was suddenly in play for conventional mortgages, FinLocker‘s Brian Vieaux had to burst some bubbles. Most of the 15 to 20 loan officers he spoke to were ecstatic about being able to use the new credit scoring model. Millions of new prospective borrowers could be scored

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After the Bayview deal, what’s the refi strategy for Guild Mortgage?

Guild Mortgage, HWmember, Lenders, LendingLife, Loan Officer, Mortgage, Mortgage Servicing, MSRs, Origination, Servicing / Ricky Vasquez

Bayview Asset Management’s $1.3 billion deal to acquire Guild Holding Co., the parent of Guild Mortgage, has left loan officers wondering how the traditionally purchase-focused lender would integrate refinance capabilities to leverage the $770 billion servicing portfolio of soon-to-be sister company Lakeview Loan Servicing, the nation’s second-largest mortgage servicer. Guild LOs, who spoke with HousingWire

After the Bayview deal, what’s the refi strategy for Guild Mortgage? Read More »

Are you equipped for the next generation of homebuyers and investors?

Acra Lending, Mortgage, Origination, Sponsored / Ricky Vasquez

The American workforce is undergoing a seismic shift, with a growing number of professionals leaving W-2 jobs behind. Data from Statista projects that by 2027, around 86.5 million Americans — more than half of the U.S. workforce — will be freelancing. The growing “gig economy” is reshaping the future of homebuying, and savvy brokers are

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‘Dating the rate’ misled borrowers. Now they’re financially strained

Affordability, Churchill Mortgage, Homebuyers, HWmember, LendingLife, Loan Officer, Mortgage, Mortgage Rates, Origination, Refinancing / Ricky Vasquez

“Marry the house, date the rate” is a phrase that was popularized during the post-pandemic era of rising mortgage rates. Lenders urged borrowers to focus on finding a house they were head over heels with and worry about their interest rate down the line. Borrowers who were accustomed to rates hovering near 3% didn’t realize

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Bilt raises $250M to expand into mortgages, with backing from UWM

HWmember, Investment, LendingLife, Mat Ishbia, Mortgage, Origination, Renters, United Wholesale Mortgage / Ricky Vasquez

Bilt, which operates a loyalty program and credit card that converts rent payments into points, has secured a $250 million funding round led by General Catalyst and GID, with participation from United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM), the nation’s largest mortgage lender. The funding brings Bilt’s valuation to $10.75 billion and will fuel expansion across the broader

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Waltz raises another $25M to power international real estate investment

International buyers, Lenders, LendingLife, Mexico, Miami, Mortgage, Origination, Real Estate Investing / Ricky Vasquez

U.S. residential real estate is drawing increasing interest from international investors —particularly in Latin and South America — according to Miami-based Waltz, a digital mortgage platform that caters to foreign buyers. The firm announced it has reached $50 million in total funding to date — including a newly secured $25 million line of credit from

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Armando Falcon on the FHFA’s move toward crypto mortgages

Bill Pulte, Cryptocurrency, Fannie Mae, FHFA, Freddie Mac, HWmember, LendingLife, Mortgage, Origination, Technology / Ricky Vasquez

It’s been just over a week since Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte directed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to start preparing for the use of cryptocurrency in single-family mortgages. With limited guidance beyond the FHFA’s directive, mortgage originators and industry experts are working to assess how cryptocurrency could be applied to mortgages.

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Cornerstone Capital Bank, Tresidio Homes announce joint venture

HWmember, Idaho, LendingLife, Mortgage, Mortgage Broker, Origination, Partnerships / Ricky Vasquez

Cornerstone Capital Bank and Tresidio Homes on Thursday announced the launch of Table Rock Mortgage, a joint venture mortgage brokerage. The new Idaho-licensed brokerage will provide mortgage services to local homebuyers “with goals of promoting affordability and streamlining the mortgage process for homebuyers,” according to press release from the companies. “This joint venture brings together

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Which is better for mortgage — FICO or VantageScore?

The Rolling Stones, real estate, and reality checks

VantageScore 4.0 is coming. But much work needs to be done

After the Bayview deal, what’s the refi strategy for Guild Mortgage?

Are you equipped for the next generation of homebuyers and investors?

‘Dating the rate’ misled borrowers. Now they’re financially strained

Bilt raises $250M to expand into mortgages, with backing from UWM

Waltz raises another $25M to power international real estate investment

Armando Falcon on the FHFA’s move toward crypto mortgages

Cornerstone Capital Bank, Tresidio Homes announce joint venture

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