Category: Optimal Blue
-
January Mortgage Lock Data Shows Year-Over-Year Improvement in Refinance Volume Despite Higher Rates
PLANO, Texas — Optimal Blue today released its January 2025 Market Advantage mortgage data report, revealing a sharp rise in year-over-year (YoY) refinance activity alongside a drop in purchase lock counts. The decline in purchase lock counts marks the lowest January count since Optimal Blue began tracking this data in 2019. Meanwhile, refinance lock volume…
-
Optimal Blue Introduces Seven Major Innovations at Its Inaugural User Summit in San Diego
SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Optimal Blue today unveiled a series of new products and features, alongside its major Ask Obi AI assistant announcement, at its Summit user conference in San Diego. These innovation announcements underscore the company’s commitment to delivering high-impact solutions, at no additional cost, that tackle real-world challenges and help lenders maximize profitability.
-
Optimal Blue Announces Ask Obi, an AI Assistant to Provide Mortgage Lending Executives With Real-Time Business Insights
SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Optimal Blue today announced Ask Obi, an AI assistant designed to provide mortgage lending executives with instant, actionable insights from their Optimal Blue products and data. Unveiled during Optimal Blue’s inaugural Summit user conference in San Diego, Ask Obi gives lenders the power to view their operations holistically with data aggregation…
-
December Mortgage Lock Data Reveals Year-Over-Year Increases Across All Loan Types Despite Seasonal Downturn
PLANO, Texas — Optimal Blue today released its December 2024 Market Advantage mortgage data report, showcasing year-over-year (YoY) growth in mortgage activity, even as seasonal trends led to a month-over-month (MoM) decline in rate lock volumes. Overall, December mortgage lock volume was up 26% YoY, driven by an 18% increase in purchase locks, a 43%…
-
Mortgage Lock Activity Fell in November as Interest Rates Hit Their Highest Levels Since July
PLANO, Texas — Optimal Blue today released its November 2024 Market Advantage mortgage data report, highlighting a 25% decrease in month-over-month (MoM) lock volume as interest rates hit their highest levels since early July, creating headwinds for affordability.
-
Optimal Blue Announces Tony Hawk, Housing Industry Leaders to Headline Inaugural User Conference
PLANO, Texas — Optimal Blue today announced the speaker lineup for its inaugural user conference, the Optimal Blue Summit 2025. Legendary skateboarder and entrepreneur Tony Hawk will headline the event. The conference will also feature sessions led by Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) Chief Economist and Senior Vice President of Research and Business Development Michael Fratantoni,…
-
October Mortgage Lock Data Shows Resilience and Cracks in the Mortgage Market as Interest Rates Tick up 65 Basis Points
PLANO, Texas — Optimal Blue today released its October 2024 Market Advantage mortgage data report, highlighting resilient purchase activity in the face of rising interest rates and affordability challenges. Despite a 65-basis-point (bps) increase in the Optimal Blue Mortgage Market Indices (OBMMI) 30-year conforming rate, purchase lock volume grew by 12% month over month (MoM),…
-
Optimal Blue Promotes Industry Experts to New Executive Roles to Accelerate Innovation and Prioritize Partnerships
PLANO, Texas — Optimal Blue today announced two key executive promotions that will position the company to deliver innovation faster across the company’s entire capital markets platform, and to further expand the company’s network of partners. Erin Wester has been promoted to chief product officer and Mike Vough has been promoted to head of corporate…
-
Optimal Blue Announces Three Major Product Releases, Continuing Streak of Aggressive Product Innovation and No-Cost Feature Additions
PLANO, Texas — Optimal Blue today announced three major product releases: the expansion of its AI assistant suite, the introduction of Scenario Optimizer, and the free availability of Investor Pricing Insight to investor clients. These product updates build on the company’s commitment to rapidly delivering high-impact solutions that tackle real-world challenges while helping clients maximize…
-
Rate-and-Term Refinance Locks Surge 700% Over Previous Year Following the FOMC’s September Interest Rate Reduction
PLANO, Texas — Optimal Blue today released its September 2024 Market Advantage mortgage data report, which found a 50% month-over-month (MoM) increase in rate-and-term refinance activity as people who purchased homes in recent years jumped at the opportunity to lower their interest rates and mortgage payments. While the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) lowered its…