Smartfi offers 50-bps reverse mortgage discount for veterans
Smartfi Home Loans introduced Choice Service, a 50-bps rate reduction on its proprietary reverse mortgage for eligible veterans.
Mortgage
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Atlas VMS’s Erik Morin on HECM second appraisals, AIM-Port acquisition
Atlas VMS says 8.3% of HECM loans needed a second appraisal in Q1 2026 versus 10.4% in Q4 2025, adding cost and time.
As HEI regulations expand, states debate loan classification
State HEI legislation is expanding as Maine sets standards, Illinois updates licensing and other states debate whether HEIs are loans.
HouseAmerica Financial joins All Western Mortgage
HouseAmerica Financial joins All Western Mortgage, a $500M lender, as AWM targets $3B in 2026 funding and expands in California.
House passes bill hiking VA mortgage refi fees to fund expanded veterans’ benefits
The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed a bill that increases benefits for veterans and their surviving families, offsetting the cost by raising fees on VA refinance transactions.
California MBA backs $100M fund in governor’s budget proposal for wildfire rebuilding
The proposed funding is designed to expand access to construction financing for homeowners affected by last year’s Southern California wildfires by helping to bridge the gap between insurance payouts and actual rebuilding costs.
As retirement costs surge, more homeowners turn to their equity
65-and-older households now spend about $122,000 annually, compared with roughly $60,000 in 2000, according to survey data.
Rocket Mortgage, Rocket Pro adopt VantageScore 4.0
Rocket began using VantageScore 4.0 with Classic FICO, as FHFA pilots the model and lenders delivered $10 million in loans to Freddie Mac.
Land leases, ARM buydowns emerge as lending options while mortgage rates stay elevated
Mortgage lenders are getting creative to combat the housing affordability crisis fueled by rising interest rates, rolling out novel products and blending existing options to keep borrowers in the market.
Study: Bipartisan Social Security plan to borrow and invest unlikely to pay off
The assessment was critical of a plan championed by Sens. Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican, and Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat.