BLOG VIEW: It’s a common saying that individuals make a decision to trust you, whether consciously or not, within ten minutes of meeting you. Because a loan officer is typically the first person a borrower interacts with, those first impressions are crucial to starting the mortgage process on the right foot. This is especially true at a time when prices …

After several years of focus on modernizing the borrower experience, the mortgage industry is finally turning its attention to improving the lender experience. We’re starting to see more investment in tools designed to help companies improve internal processes – and not just “big ticket” items like LOS, POS, PPE and CMS systems that come with high price tags and arduous …

In mortgage lending, the landscape is constantly evolving, and the solutions created for yesterday’s challenges may not be helpful when trying to overcome the challenges of today. At a high level, mortgage lenders always seem to face the same set of issues: high origination costs, margin compression, constantly fluctuating rates and changing regulations. And, every shift in the industry provides …

BLOG VIEW: An appraisal is a necessary part of any real estate transaction. It is the process of developing an opinion of value on a property, and forms the basis for mortgage loans, taxes and property sale prices. Traditionally, appraisals were conducted exclusively in person by an experienced appraiser. This included the appraiser driving to the property, walking around, taking …

BLOG VIEW: In today’s tight purchase market, Veterans Affairs (VA) renovation loans can deliver a double, bottom-line benefit to lenders. Service members, especially our wounded warriors, benefit from having a VA home loan product they can use to make needed renovations. At the same time, lenders gain another vehicle for delivering the home loan benefits service members and veterans have …

BLOG VIEW: New Jersey recently introduced legislation that regulates mortgage servicing in the state. Under the new law, which takes effect July 28, servicers must be licensed and obtain a $100,000 New Jersey mortgage servicer bond in order to operate legally. The law also specifies the obligations and responsibilities of licensed servicers, such as filing annual reports, keeping records, and …