HW+ provides career-making insights and analysis for those in Mortgage, Real Estate and FinTech. This long-form digital content provides members with news nowhere else and digs deeper into the “why” behind the daily news cycle. To join the HW+ community, click here.
Forged deed and mortgage fraud cost Georgia couple their home
The couple said they began receiving notices in 2019 about repayment on a $50,000 reverse mortgage they claim to never have signed
Why are some vendors dragging their feet on the ICE SDK transition?
ICE pushes back its retirement of legacy tech, but some lenders say the industry has had more than enough time to adapt.
IMBs swing back to profitability in Q2 with $950 per-loan gain
Independent mortgage banks (IMBs) delivered a pretax net production profit of $950 per loan in the second quarter of 2025, rebounding from a $28 loss in the prior quarter.
Mortgage applications continue to slump
Mortgage rates changed from last week but application activity continues to be “subdued” as broader economic indicators worry borrowers
Fannie Mae posts 29th straight quarter of profitability amid GSE shakeup
Fannie Mae announced its first quarter 2025 earnings today, reporting a net income of $3.7 billion, which added to the company’s 29th consecutive quarter of positive earnings. As of March 31, 2025, Fannie’s net worth reached $98.3 billion — a nearly 20% increase annually.
From survival to strategy: The mortgage industry’s call for purpose-driven leadership
If the mortgage industry had a mantra at the start of last year, it was something like: Just survive to get to 2025. With high rates keeping volume low, everyone was cinching their belts and feeling the pain but yet, hope remained, fueled by predictions of pending interest rate cuts that would bring welcome relief to all.
FirstTeam begins national expansion
Founded in 1976, FirstTeam operates more than 46 branches with 2,200-plus sales agents, with more office openings expected soon.
RealReports partners with MLS Now, expanding access to AI property tool
The collaboration gives MLS Now members access to RealReports’ data aggregation platform and its AI tool, Aiden, which is designed to answer property-specific questions and analyze housing information in real time.
FBI warns of home title theft surge
The Boston division of the FBI is sounding the alarm over a rise in home title theft, aka quit claim deed fraud, a scheme in which scammers forge documents to steal property ownership and cash in on unsuspecting homeowners.
