Author name: Ricky Vasquez

TidalWave’s Diane Yu on AI’s impact to mortgage jobs

The promise that artificial intelligence brings to the mortgage ecosystem through faster processes and reduced expenses is also accompanied by the potential threat it poses to human roles. While the next two years could see an acceleration of AI-related job losses, Diane Yu urges mortgage professionals to adopt a “mindset of abundance” when approaching the […]

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CFPB cleared to fire 90% of staff by appeals court decision

The CFPB can go ahead with plans — announced in April — to fire 90% of its staff, a federal appeals court panel ruled on Friday. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit found that “the district court lacked jurisdiction to consider the claims predicated on loss of employment, which must proceed through

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Highest Rates This Week, But Close Enough to Long Term Lows

Friday proved to be the weakest day of the week for the underlying bond market and, thus, the highest day of the week for mortgage rates. Retail sales data was generally stronger than expected, especially when considering revisions and when focusing on the “core” numbers that strip out more volatile categories such as autos/fuel and

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ICE Mortgage Technology pushes SDK sunset to end of 2026

ICE Mortgage Technology is putting off the planned sunset of the Encompass SDK system, according to a memo provided by the company to National Mortgage News. SDK is shorthand for software development kit. It, along with certain other legacy systems, were supposed to go away on Oct. 31. ICE first announced the transition in September

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10 best US real estate markets for first-time homebuyers in 2025

Ask any real estate expert about the most important factor in buying a home, and you’ll hear the same thing: location, location, location. It’s a cliché because it’s true — and for today’s first-time buyers, it’s also one of the biggest hurdles. Finding a place that checks the boxes for lifestyle and amenities while staying

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Fed portfolio shift could hand Treasury $2 trillion, BofA Says

A possible shift in the composition of the Federal Reserve’s portfolio of Treasury holdings could result in the central bank buying nearly $2 trillion of bills over the next two years, enough to absorb nearly all of the Treasury’s issuance during that period, according to Bank of America Corp.  Strategists Mark Cabana and Katie Craig

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With trigger leads going away, lenders who prepare will win

Federal legislation banning traditional mortgage trigger leads has cleared the Senate and is likely to be signed into law in the coming weeks. When that happens, lenders will lose a familiar — and often crowded — way to identify borrowers after a credit pull. For some, that will feel like losing a trusted tool overnight.

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Homebuilders encounter credit, supply cost headwinds

Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg The ongoing tariff-impacted rise of material and service prices, alongside challenging credit conditions, are a double whammy hitting residential construction, according to analysis from the National Association of Home Builders. Prices for goods and services used in residential construction came in 2.8% higher in July on an annual basis, marking the largest increase

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FHFA headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Consumer groups urge FHFA not to mix crypto with mortgages

Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg Two consumer groups are urging Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William J. Pulte to abandon his directive that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac explore counting cryptocurrency holdings as reserves in single-family mortgage underwriting. In a letter sent Thursday, the Consumer Federation of America and the National Consumer Law Center said the move, which

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Russell Vought

DC Circuit panel lets Trump administration fire CFPB staff

Russ Vought, acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, is also the director of the Office of Management and Budget.Al Drago/Bloomberg In a major win for the Trump administration, a federal appeals court on Friday ruled against the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s union, allowing the bureau’s acting Director Russel Vought to fire up to

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