Author Archives: Matt Carter

Total Expert integrates RatePlug to connect loan officers with agents

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RatePlug, a marketing platform that connects mortgage loan officers and real estate agents, is now integrated into Total Expert, a customer relationship management solution. Continue reading →

Stewart bolsters Midwest operations with Title First Agency acquisition

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After posting record second quarter earnings, Stewart Information Services Corp. has acquired one of the nation’s largest independent title agencies, Title First Agency Inc. Continue reading →

Cloud providers are now big players in the mortgage process

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Cloud providers like AWS, Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure not only provide flexibility to scale, but have also developed proprietary AI and machine learning capabilities that can be customized to meet the needs of mortgage lenders. Continue reading →

1M homeowners face elevated risk of foreclosure when protections lift

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The percentage of homeowners who are behind on their mortgage payments continues to fall, but an estimated 1 million homeowners face an elevated risk of foreclosure when forbearance protections start expiring in September. Continue reading →

Ransomware attack threatens closings, sensitive client data

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A ransomware attack on Cloudstar, which provides cloud hosting for title insurance applications, is threatening to derail mortgage closings and put sensitive client information at risk. Continue reading →

Better rapidly scaling up real estate, title insurance businesses

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Better’s real estate brokerage subsidiary has largely flown under the radar, but that’s about to change as it integrates Better Real Estate and its other businesses onto a single platform. Continue reading →

Homebuyer pool set to expand with mortgage alternatives: CEOs

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The CEOs of Divvy Homes and HomeLight said during Connect Now that they can help agents’ clients negotiate challenging market conditions. Continue reading →

If home prices don’t cool, watch for Fed tightening and rising mortgage rates

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Economists at Fannie Mae are again sounding warnings that rising rents and record home price appreciation could contribute to long-lasting inflation that leads to earlier, more aggressive tightening by the Federal Reserve. Continue reading →

New restrictions on Fannie, Freddie refis blamed for tighter mortgage credit

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Mortgage lenders tightened underwriting standards in June, undoing much of the easing seen over the last six months as initial fears about the long-term impacts of the pandemic began to wane. Continue reading →