After several years defined by volatility, scarcity, and historically high borrowing costs, the mortgage industry enters 2026 with something it hasn’t had in a while: a cautious, but genuine, sense of optimism. That sentiment was palpable at the MBA Annual conference, where the collective mood reflected a meaningful shift from the exhaustion of 2023 and the grinding uncertainty that clouded 2024. Lenders, economists, and market participants seemed aligned in a shared belief t

In an era defined by locked-in mortgage rates and frozen inventory, an old mechanism in American housing finance has suddenly reentered the conversation: the assumable mortgage. It is an idea that feels almost quaint, yet it sits at the center of some of the current debates about affordability, consumer rights, and the role of government in modern housing markets. To understand why assumability is back in the spotlight, it helps to start with what the feature actually is. At

The mortgage industry has been embracing the concept of speed as a marketing feature in the past several years. The idea that a mortgage loan can transition from application to closing in a flash is something that loan officers and business owners have become convinced will make them more attractive to clients. Hey, who doesn't want to apply for a loan while making their morning coffee and get approved before they have finished their bowl of cereal, right? Maybe not. About tw

For decades, credit reports were treated as snapshots - a fixed moment in time meant to summarize a borrower’s financial history. That view no longer fits today’s reality. Credit data has evolved into a living, dynamic asset that tells a story not just about who a consumer was, but how they are behaving right now and where their financial trajectory is heading. This shift is more than technical, it’s strategic - driving smarter decisions and better outcomes across the mortgag

For decades, FICO has been the dominant force in credit scoring, central to the U.S. mortgage ecosystem since the introduction of its score in 1986. It has long drawn both scrutiny and reliance from the industry, regarded as a gatekeeper to credit access for millions of consumers. But a major structural shift is now underway: FICO has announced a direct licensing model that will bypass the traditional credit bureaus and instead work directly with credit reporting agencies (CR

In the first Voice of the Industry , David Spector, Chairman and CEO of Pennymac, discussed his path from early beginnings on Wall Street...

I’ve been in mortgage since 1991. Rates were north of 10%, “apply now” meant stacks of paper, and the concept of consumer-permissioned...

After talking with and interviewing hundreds of mortgage professionals, I can say with certainty: the loan officers who win in this...

The mortgage industry has no shortage of hype around artificial intelligence. Every week, a new vendor promises borrower-facing chatbots,...

Since originating my first loan in 1991, I’ve lived through plenty of cycles where the Fed gave us a dose of reality. Friday in Jackson...

If you’re unfamiliar, the HELPER Act (Homes for Every Local Protector, Educator, and Responder)  proposes a straightforward idea: allow...

In a market where every lead feels harder to come by and conversions take longer; loan officers are looking for an edge that will not...

For decades, the mortgage industry's refi booms were predictable, secular events. A long-term downward trend in interest rates would...

The summer slowdown is real.But someone forgot to tell Abdel Khawatmi . While many loan officers are sitting on the sidelines waiting for...

I’ve seen this industry evolve through every imaginable market cycle.  But I believe we’re now in a fundamentally different era, one...

Spend enough time in one industry and you’ll likely see just about every shiny object come and go.  But I can tell you with confidence:...

Throughout my career in the mortgage industry, I’ve watched strategies come and go.  Rate chasing. CRM drip campaigns. Lead buying.  But...

Last week news came out that the FHFA, which oversees Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, will now allow lenders to use Vantage 4.0 score....