Tag Archives: home equity products

Kitsap Credit Union selects FirstClose’s home equity lending platform

AUSTIN, Texas, April 2, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — FirstClose™, a leading fintech provider of data and workflow solutions for mortgage and home equity lenders nationwide, announced today that Kitsap Credit Union has selected FirstClose to support its home equity lending operations with a bundled, end-to-end digital tool.

Image caption: FirstClose.

With the implementation of FirstClose’s bundled home equity platform, Kitsap Credit Union is continuing its focus on making banking easier, faster, and more reliable for its members. The platform will enable the credit union to streamline and manage critical valuation, verification and settlement-related services through a single workflow. By reducing manual touchpoints and consolidating third-party services, the platform is designed to help accelerate turn times, improve consistency and deliver a more efficient and seamless experience for both staff and members.

Kitsap Credit Union, a $2.5 billion-asset institution headquartered in Bremerton, Washington, will leverage a bundled suite of services that includes flood certification, automated valuation models, desktop and hybrid appraisal products, property condition reports and integrated title services. The platform provides greater visibility across the lending process while supporting faster application-to-order timelines.

“Kitsap Credit Union’s decision reflects a growing need among credit unions to move faster without compromising service,” said Tedd Smith, CEO of FirstClose. “Our platform brings multiple services together into a single, orchestrated workflow, helping lenders reduce complexity and deliver a more consistent, member-friendly home equity experience.”

The agreement supports Kitsap Credit Union’s operational goals around efficiency, scalability, and member experience, while providing a technology foundation that adapts as lending volumes and market conditions evolve. FirstClose’s home equity tools are part of the company’s broader platform designed to help lenders reduce costs, improve operational consistency and shorten closing timelines.

About FirstClose

Headquartered in Austin, Texas, FirstClose, Inc. provides fintech solutions to HELOC and mortgage lenders nationwide. The company’s mission is to increase profitability and reduce costs for mortgage lenders. FirstClose makes this possible through offering systems and relationships that enable lenders to assist their borrowers more effectively, reduce closing costs, and ultimately shorten closing times. For more information, visit firstclose.com.

About Kitsap Credit Union

Kitsap Credit Union is a member-owned financial cooperative with 14 branches and over 325 employees serving communities across Washington state. As a not-for-profit organization, we put people over profit, focusing on our members’ financial well-being and the prosperity of the communities where we live and work. We offer a full range of modern banking services, but our foundation is built on trust-based relationships and personalized service.

Our mission is simple: to empower members and strengthen communities through trusted, personalized financial support. By powering life’s opportunities, we help our members move forward with confidence. Guided by trust, service, and community, we work together to build stronger financial futures because empowering our members means uplifting the entire community, today and for generations to come.

NEWS SOURCE: FirstClose

This press release was issued on behalf of the news source (FirstClose), who is solely responsible for its accuracy, by Send2Press Newswire. Image, if any, was provided by the news source and not this website or the wire service. Information is believed accurate, as provided by the news source, but is not guaranteed.

To view the original story, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/kitsap-credit-union-selects-firstcloses-home-equity-lending-platform/

FirstClose celebrates 25 years of mortgage and home equity innovation

AUSTIN, Texas, Nov. 5, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — FirstClose™, a leading fintech provider of data and workflow solutions for mortgage and home equity lenders nationwide, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this month. This marks a quarter-century of innovation in modernizing lending processes for residential mortgage and home equity lenders nationwide.

Image caption: FirstClose.

The anniversary comes as homeowners increasingly turn to equity amid limited refinancing opportunities in a high-rate environment. Total homeowner equity in the U.S., including homes owned outright, is estimated at $35 trillion. American homeowners with a mortgage hold about $17.6 trillion in home equity, of which approximately $11.5 trillion is considered tappable while maintaining at least 20% ownership. In addition, HELOCs and home equity loan originations increased by more than 23% year over year from 2023 to 2024, underscoring the growing importance of this lending segment.

With 225 financial institutions leveraging its platform, FirstClose has assisted lenders in meeting this demand through instant decisioning, automated workflows and vendor integrations that ensure transparency and efficiency, resulting in $129 billion in funded loans since 2015. Institutions using FirstClose’s digital prequalification tools have also experienced a 30 to 40% increase in application volume, showcasing the company’s influence on lender growth.

“Reaching 25 years reflects the trust of our clients and the dedication of our team,” said Tedd Smith, chief executive officer of FirstClose. “With demand for home equity products at an all-time high, our mission has never been more relevant: to simplify lending and empower lenders to grow. We are eager to continue shaping the future of mortgage and home equity lending.”

Looking ahead, FirstClose plans to expand its investments in this market. As the leader in home equity workflow management, including its award-winning point-of-sale (POS) platform and order management system (OMS), the company is introducing new integrations with top providers and developing innovative borrower and loan officer engagement tools, reinforcing its role as a long-term partner to lenders navigating evolving borrower needs.

Since its founding in 2000, FirstClose has evolved from a one-stop aggregator of property data and settlement services into a full end-to-end technology platform solution that enables lenders to capture the growing demand of home owners, reduce costs and deliver faster, borrower-friendly closings. Its platform integrates automated workflows, extensive vendor networks, and deep loan origination system integrations to provide a full-service, end-to-end solution that lenders and borrowers can rely upon to access funds within 7 days, compared to an industry average of 42 days. FirstClose leadership is excited to celebrate 25 years of innovation while looking to the future by impacting the entire industry with similar time and cost savings nationwide.

About FirstClose

Headquartered in Austin, Texas, FirstClose, Inc. provides fintech solutions to home equity and mortgage lenders nationwide. The company’s mission is to increase profitability and reduce costs for mortgage lenders. FirstClose makes this possible through offering systems and relationships that enable lenders to assist the lender’s borrowers more effectively, reduce closing costs, and ultimately shorten closing times. For more information, visit https://www.firstclose.com/.

NEWS SOURCE: FirstClose

To view the original story, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/firstclose-celebrates-25-years-of-mortgage-and-home-equity-innovation/

FirstClose integrates with Optimal Blue to accelerate home equity closings

AUSTIN, Texas, Sept. 29, 2025 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — FirstClose™, Inc., a leading fintech provider of data and workflow solutions for mortgage and home equity lenders nationwide, today announced a certified integration with Optimal Blue that connects FirstClose’s point-of-sale (POS) platform to Optimal Blue’s product, pricing and eligibility (PPE) engine. The integration builds on FirstClose’s ability to reduce home equity closing times from 45 days to 10 or fewer, while also giving lenders access to Optimal Blue’s trusted pricing and eligibility data. Together, these capabilities position lenders to better serve growing demand for home equity lines and second mortgages in today’s purchase-slow market.

Image caption: FirstClose logo.

Through the integration, lenders can provide borrowers with a seamless, branded application experience that combines FirstClose’s real-time property data and eligibility information with Optimal Blue’s accurate, lender-specific pricing. Together, these capabilities deliver a transparent process where consumers see precise loan options and rates while navigating their application.

“By integrating our point-of-sale experience with Optimal Blue’s pricing engine, lenders can now deliver borrowers a faster, simpler and more transparent path to access their home equity,” said Tedd Smith, chief executive officer of FirstClose.

“Americans are holding tremendous amounts of home equity, and this integration gives lenders a seamless path to present borrowers with real-time, accurate pricing information from Optimal Blue,” said Mike Vough, head of corporate strategy at Optimal Blue. “By creating more transparency of product and pricing for homeowners, lenders are better positioned to help borrowers take advantage of home equity opportunities.”

About FirstClose

Headquartered in Austin, Texas, FirstClose, Inc. provides fintech solutions to HELOC and mortgage lenders nationwide. The company’s mission is to increase profitability and reduce cost for mortgage lenders. FirstClose makes this possible through offering systems and relationships that enable lenders to assist the lender’s borrowers more effectively, reduce closing costs and ultimately shorten closing times. For more information, visit https://www.firstclose.com/.

NEWS SOURCE: FirstClose

To view the original story, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/firstclose-integrates-with-optimal-blue-to-accelerate-home-equity-closings/

Spring EQ Offers Home Equity Loans to Brokers in Lender Price’s Marketplace

PASADENA, Calif. /ScoopCloud/ -- Lender Price, a provider of mortgage loan pricing and origination technology, announced today that Spring EQ has joined the Lender Price Marketplace as the first home equity loan lender on the platform. Spring EQ, headquartered in Philadelphia, is one of the nation's largest lenders of home equity products. The Lender Price Marketplace pricing engine user base has grown dramatically over the past 12 months with the fastest growth attributed to the addition of Lenders like Spring EQ.

Spring EQ Wholesale products are now available in Lender Price's Marketplace. Home Equity Loans can be a great way for brokers to provide financing to their borrowers. If you're looking for a place to start your search for a home equity loan, explore the Lender Price Marketplace and check out Spring EQ Wholesale's home equity loan offerings.

"Spring EQ Wholesale is excited to announce that our home equity products are now visible within Lender Price, a pricing and digital lending platform that allows brokers to see our pricing," said Paul Saurbier, SVP of Wholesale for Spring EQ. "As mortgage rates continue to rise throughout 2022, and with homeowners having record amounts of equity in their homes, the demand for home equity products will accelerate."

"We're looking forward to our partnership with Spring EQ Wholesale, one of the leading home equity wholesale lenders," said Dawar Alimi, CEO and founder of Lender Price. "Our Marketplace platform's ability to support home equity lending is one reason that brokers come to our Marketplace to find unique and innovative programs such as those offered by Spring EQ Wholesale."

More information about Lender Price and Marketplace can be found at https://LenderPrice.com/marketplace.

Lender Price's Broker Marketplace offers brokers the opportunity to:

* Save time and money by finding the best wholesale lender.

* Be more informed about what you're getting from each wholesale lender.

* Improve your bottom line with better pricing.

* Stay ahead of the competition by being able to offer more than they can.

* You'll save time by not having to search through all the wholesale Lenders TPO portals

* Get access to lenders you never knew existed.

* Easily compare rates and programs from all the top wholesale lenders.

* Be confident that you're getting the best rate possible at the best price.

About Lender Price

Lender Price is a California-based developer of mortgage technology, including an advanced product, pricing, & eligibility (PPE) engine, digital lending point-of-sale (POS), and non-agency automated underwriting engine. Lender Price provides all types of mortgage lending institutions - wholesale and correspondent lenders, banks, credit unions, and mortgage brokers - with advanced technology designed to eliminate friction, increase transparency, and effectively engage with borrowers. More information about Lender Price can be found at: https://lenderprice.com and https://digitallending.com

About Spring EQ

Spring EQ is a national first and second mortgage lender specializing in refinance, home-equity loan, and home-equity line-of-credit products directly to consumers and through mortgage brokers. Headquartered in Philadelphia, Spring EQ is among the fastest growing and most awarded lenders since its founding in 2016. Spring EQ leverages a seamless, simple, and digital process that results in faster funding, trustworthy loans, and less frustration for mortgage professionals and consumers.

For information on Spring EQ, visit: https://www.wholesale.springeq.com/

Lender Price, a provider of mortgage loan pricing and origination technology, announced today that Spring EQ has joined the Lender Price Marketplace as the first home equity loan lender on the platform. Spring EQ, headquartered in Philadelphia, is one of the nation's largest lenders of home equity products.

Related link: https://lenderprice.com/