Friday Harbor becomes first mortgage technology provider to receive AI governance compliance attestation from Brody Gapp
SEATTLE, Wash., May 15, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Friday Harbor, an AI pre-underwriting platform that helps loan officers assemble complete and compliant loan files in real time, is the first mortgage technology provider to receive an AI governance compliance attestation from mortgage banking and financial services law firm Brody Gapp LLP. The attestation follows a formal compliance review of Friday Harbor’s platform, which uses AI to analyze borrower documents.
Click n’ Close expands Whole Loan Trading division with engagement of Christy Soukhamneut and Launch Point Advisory Group
ADDISON, Texas, May 15, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Click n’ Close, a multi-state mortgage lender, announced strategic engagement of Christy Soukhamneut and Launch Point Advisory Group to support the expansion of its Whole Loan Trading division. The move is part of a broader initiative to grow Click n’ Close’s secondary market presence and offer whole loan trading opportunities across its government and specialty loan programs.
NewFed Mortgage leverages Friday Harbor to boost fulfillment productivity by 35%
SEATTLE, Wash., May 14, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — NewFed Mortgage Corp., a full-service residential mortgage lender operating across more than 20 states, today announced the companywide rollout of Friday Harbor’s AI pre-underwriting platform following a successful pilot program that demonstrated measurable gains in fulfillment productivity and underwriting throughput. Since implementing Friday Harbor, NewFed processors handle 36% more files per month while underwriters review 35% more loans.
The Mortgage Collaborative launches Mortgage AI Council to advance responsible AI adoption for community and mid-sized lenders
SAN DIEGO, Calif., May 14, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The Mortgage Collaborative (TMC), the nation’s largest independent cooperative network for mortgage lenders, announced the formation of the Mortgage AI Council, a standing committee under TMC’s lender member board of directors. The council will give community banks, credit unions and independent mortgage bankers the governance frameworks, peer intelligence and collective voice needed to adopt artificial intelligence responsibly as the technology reshapes how lenders originate loans, assess risk and serve borrowers.
OptiFunder Connects LendingPad LOS to Genesis to Link Origination and Warehouse Funding
ST. LOUIS, Mo., May 14, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — OptiFunder®, the mortgage industry leader in warehouse management automation, announced a new integration with LendingPad, the award-winning, cloud-native loan origination system. The integration brings LendingPad and Genesis by OptiFunder together, creating a direct connection between loan origination and warehouse funding operations. The platforms align the loan lifecycle from origination through funding, reconciliation, and execution in the capital markets.
Vesta Partners with OptiFunder to Bring Loan Origination and Warehouse Funding Together
ST. LOUIS, Mo., May 12, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — OptiFunder®, the mortgage industry pioneer in warehouse management automation, has partnered with Vesta, the AI-native loan origination system and agent platform, to connect loan origination and warehouse funding workflows. The integration links origination, funding, and sale to the capital markets, eliminating fragmented systems and manual handoffs that have historically slowed execution and increased risk.
Optimal Blue report: Purchase demand holds firm as April lock activity cools
PLANO, Texas, May 12, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Optimal Blue today released its April 2026 Market Advantage mortgage data report, which found that mortgage lock activity pulled back after a strong first quarter. Total rate-lock volume declined 9% month over month (MoM) but remained 11% higher year over year (YoY). Purchase lock volume declined just under 2% from March but increased more than 9% from April 2025, continuing to lead production as refinance activity cooled.
FirstClose introduces SmartDocs disclosure automation through its point-of-sale platform
AUSTIN, Texas, May 11, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — FirstClose™, a leading fintech provider of data and workflow solutions for mortgage and home equity lenders nationwide, today announced SmartDocs, a new disclosure intelligence capability available through its XpressEquity point-of-sale platform. SmartDocs functions as the intelligence layer that determines when disclosure obligations begin and initiates the appropriate workflow based on lender-configured rules, helping standardize timing and delivery across programs and jurisdictions.
MISMO awards eVault System Certification to DocMagic’s SmartSAFE eVaults
TORRANCE, Calif., May 7, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — DocMagic, Inc. (DocMagic®) announced today that it has received two new certifications from MISMO®, the Mortgage Industry Standards Maintenance Organization. MISMO’s eVault System Certification covers SmartSAFE®, DocMagic’s core eVault for managing eNote workflows and MERS® eRegistry activity, and SmartSAFE XL™, an API-first eVault designed for enterprise environments that require flexible deployments and support for a broader range of digital assets.
MISMO awards eVault System Certification to DocMagic’s SmartSAFE eVaults
TORRANCE, Calif., May 7, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — DocMagic, Inc. (DocMagic®) announced today that it has received two new certifications from MISMO®, the Mortgage Industry Standards Maintenance Organization. MISMO’s eVault System Certification covers SmartSAFE®, DocMagic’s core eVault for managing eNote workflows and MERS® eRegistry activity, and SmartSAFE XL™, an API-first eVault designed for enterprise environments that require flexible deployments and support for a broader range of digital assets.
Vice Capital Markets introduces agency market-based interest rate benchmark designed to expand insight into mortgage pricing
NOVI, Mich., May 7, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Vice Capital Markets, a leading mortgage hedge advisory firm for independent lenders, banks and credit unions, today announced the public release of the Vice Capital Par Note Rate, a proprietary daily mortgage rate benchmark designed to provide a distinct, market-based view of mortgage pricing. Available via an online tracker, the benchmark provides lenders, analysts and other market participants with daily data, long-term trend analysis and custom charting dating back to 2008.
Vice Capital Markets introduces agency market-based interest rate benchmark designed to expand insight into mortgage pricing
NOVI, Mich., May 7, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Vice Capital Markets, a leading mortgage hedge advisory firm for independent lenders, banks and credit unions, today announced the public release of the Vice Capital Par Note Rate, a proprietary daily mortgage rate benchmark designed to provide a distinct, market-based view of mortgage pricing. Available via an online tracker, the benchmark provides lenders, analysts and other market participants with daily data, long-term trend analysis and custom charting dating back to 2008.
iEmergent releases 2025 HMDA insights: volume rebounds, but the mortgage market grows more concentrated
DES MOINES, Iowa, April 29, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — iEmergent, a forecasting and advisory services firm for the financial services, mortgage and real estate industries, has released its analysis of 2025 Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA) data in Mortgage MarketSmart. Presented by iEmergent CEO Laird Nossuli, the findings point to a market that is regaining momentum after a prolonged downturn.
U.S. homebuyer assistance programs increase in Q1 2026 as identified by housing industry authority Down Payment Resource
ATLANTA, Ga., April 29, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Down Payment Resource (DPR), the housing industry authority on homeownership program data and solutions, today released its Q1 2026 Homeownership Program Index (HPI) report, identifying 2,679 programs nationwide. This represents a 2% increase from the previous quarter (2,619 programs), reflecting continued expansion of resources designed to improve affordability and access to homeownership.
Class Valuation launches CVUE to shift appraisal repurchase risk from lenders and reduce underwriting workload
TROY, Mich., April 28, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Class Valuation, a leading real estate appraisal management company (AMC), today announced the official launch of Class Valuation Underwriting Engine (CVUE), an underwriting and appraisal assurance program designed to reduce lender risk, lower operational costs and accelerate loan closings.
TMC to host act Tech Summit, an affordable, high-value event for evaluating mortgage technology
SAN DIEGO, Calif., April 21, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The Mortgage Collaborative (TMC), the nation’s largest independent cooperative network for mortgage lenders, will host its act Tech Summit on Aug. 12-13, bringing together mortgage industry leaders, technology providers and decision-makers for an affordable, high-value opportunity to evaluate technology partners and solutions in a single setting. The event will be held at The Highland Dallas, Curio Collection by Hilton in Dallas, Texas.
TMC to host act Tech Summit, an affordable, high-value event for evaluating mortgage technology
SAN DIEGO, Calif., April 21, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The Mortgage Collaborative (TMC), the nation’s largest independent cooperative network for mortgage lenders, will host its act Tech Summit on Aug. 12-13, bringing together mortgage industry leaders, technology providers and decision-makers for an affordable, high-value opportunity to evaluate technology partners and solutions in a single setting. The event will be held at The Highland Dallas, Curio Collection by Hilton in Dallas, Texas.
Dark Matter Technologies names Vikas Rao CEO to lead next chapter of growth
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., April 16, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Dark Matter Technologies (Dark Matter®), an innovative leader in mortgage technology, today announced the appointment of Vikas Rao as chief executive officer. Rao, who has served as chief technology officer since 2025, succeeds Sean Dugan and will lead the company’s next phase with a focus on translating its technology leadership into stronger growth.
Class Valuation expands New York presence with acquisition of Lauritano Appraisal Services
TROY, Mich., April 16, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Class Valuation, a leading real estate appraisal management company (AMC), announced today that it has acquired Lauritano Appraisal Services (LAS), a highly respected New York-based residential appraisal firm with more than 30 years of experience delivering high-quality valuation services.
Optimal Blue report: Purchase demand lifts mortgage lock activity as rates rise
PLANO, Texas, April 14, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Optimal Blue today released its March 2026 Market Advantage mortgage data report, reflecting resilient mortgage activity as purchase demand strengthened despite higher rates. Total rate-lock volume rose 13% month over month (MoM) and 26% year over year (YoY). Purchase activity led the month, with purchase lock volume up 38% from February and 20% from March 2025. Cash-out refinance volume increased 9% MoM and 21% YoY, while rate-and-term refinance volume declined 34% from February but remained more than 66% higher YoY.
The Mortgage Collaborative expands national conference presence, invites lenders to connect during spring events
SAN DIEGO, Calif., April 9, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The Mortgage Collaborative (TMC), the nation’s largest independent cooperative network for mortgage lenders, will engage with members and industry partners across a series of key mortgage conferences and events nationwide throughout the second quarter.
Vice Capital Markets Announces Support for New Fannie Mae Specified-Cash Payup Commitment Grids
NOVI, Mich., April 9, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Vice Capital Markets, a leading mortgage hedge advisory firm for independent lenders, banks and credit unions, announced today that it now supports new 30-year fixed-rate specified-cash payup commitment grids from Fannie Mae, which became effective April 9, 2026.
Click n’ Close names Delores Lopez as chief operating officer
ADDISON, Texas, April 6, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Click n’ Close, a multi-state mortgage lender, today announced the appointment of Delores Lopez as chief operating officer, effective April 6. In this role, Lopez will lead operations, drive scalable growth initiatives and implement operational strategy across the organization, reporting to Ian Kimball, president.
Vice Capital Markets Now Supports New Freddie Mac Cash-Specified Payup Types for 30-Year Fixed-Rate Mortgages
NOVI, Mich., April 6, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Vice Capital Markets, a leading mortgage hedge advisory firm for independent lenders, banks and credit unions, announced today that two new Freddie Mac Cash-Specified Payup Types (CSPTs) for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages are now available through Vice Capital for both mandatory and best-efforts executions. The new payup types became effective in production on April 6, 2026.
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.
Dark Matter Technologies introduces Ask Aiva, an AI assistant embedded in the Empower LOS
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., April 1, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Dark Matter Technologies (Dark Matter®), an innovative leader in mortgage technology, today announced Ask Aiva®, a conversational AI assistant natively embedded within the Empower® loan origination system (LOS) that allows lenders to query their origination environment in plain language, receive instant answers to see how those answers were derived.
Friday Harbor integrates with Calyx Path Platform to bring AI pre-underwriting directly into the flow of the loan
SEATTLE, Wash., April 1, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Friday Harbor today announced a new integration with the Calyx Path Platform that brings AI-powered pre-underwriting directly into the flow of the loan. Instead of waiting until underwriting to uncover issues, lenders can now review borrower documents, surface potential problems and resolve them earlier while maintaining consistent, reliable loan data throughout the lifecycle.
Argyle announces integration with Vesta to embed direct-source verifications within the loan origination system
NEW YORK CITY, N.Y., March 30, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Argyle, a leading provider of direct-source, consumer-permissioned income, employment and asset verifications, today announced a new integration with Vesta, an AI-native loan origination system (LOS) and agent platform built to automate and accelerate mortgage operations.
The Mortgage Collaborative to send advocacy committee to Washington for policy meetings
SAN DIEGO, Calif., March 27, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The Mortgage Collaborative (TMC), the nation’s largest independent cooperative network for mortgage lenders, will send its Advocacy Committee to Washington, D.C. on April 16 to meet with federal policymakers and housing agencies to discuss mortgage lending, regulatory reform and housing affordability.
Friday Harbor partners with Waterstone Mortgage to expand underwriting capacity
SEATTLE, Wash., March 25, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Friday Harbor, an AI-powered platform that helps loan officers assemble complete and compliant loan files in real time, today announced that Waterstone Mortgage has implemented its AI pre-underwriting platform to strengthen file quality and expand underwriting capacity across the lender’s nationwide retail operation.
Dark Matter Technologies integrates Snapdocs with its Empower LOS to power seamless digital closings
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., March 24, 2026 (SEND3PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Dark Matter Technologies (Dark Matter®), an innovative leader in mortgage technology, today announced a new integration between its Empower® loan origination system (LOS) and Snapdocs, the mortgage industry’s leading digital closing platform. Through the seamless, two-way integration, closing teams can generate orders, track transaction progress with real-time status updates and automate key closing and funding workflows, all without leaving their system of record.
Vertyx Introduces Homeowner Navigator, Delivering Personalized Intelligent Insights and Omnichannel Engagement for Modern Homeownership
NEW YORK, N.Y., March 24, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Vertyx, a provider of intelligent mortgage servicing technology built for enhanced portfolio performance, today announced Homeowner Navigator, a platform providing AI-driven homeowner insights and omnichannel engagement with borrowers. The platform is designed to help mortgage servicers maintain visibility into borrower needs after closing, when opportunities to support retention, recapture and broader relationship growth are often harder to identify.
MarketWise Advisors study finds mortgage lenders increase efficiency by over $1,000 per loan with Optimal Blue
PLANO, Texas, March 17, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Optimal Blue today announced key results of an independent analysis by consulting advisory firm MarketWise Advisors LLC quantifying the operational and financial efficiencies of its end-to-end capital markets platform and the significant value it generates per loan. The study found that mortgage lenders using Optimal Blue technology are more efficient and competitive. Optimal Blue mortgage lenders report an average net financial benefit of $1,006 per loan, reflecting measurable gains in execution quality, error reduction, automation and operational efficiency
Argyle launches unified 3-in-1 Verification Suite for mortgage lenders
NEW YORK CITY, N.Y., March 16, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Argyle today announced the launch of its 3-in-1 Verification Suite, a unified verification product that brings verification of income (VOI), verification of employment (VOE) and verification of assets (VOA) together in a single, consumer-permissioned workflow. The consolidated Verification Suite enables mortgage lenders to manage multiple verification types through one interface, reducing the operational complexity of working across multiple vendors, integrations and contracts.
Floify powers launch of Timberline Mortgage
BOULDER, Colo., March 16, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Floify, the mortgage industry’s leading point-of-sale (POS) solution, today announced that Timberline Bank has selected its platform to power its recently launched mortgage division. Founded in 2004, Timberline Bank is a Colorado-based community bank serving customers across western Colorado.