Finance
Friday Harbor joins Community Home Lenders of America as affiliate member
SEATTLE, Wash. — Friday Harbor, an AI-powered platform that helps loan officers assemble complete and compliant loan files in real time, has joined the Community Home Lenders of America (CHLA) as an affiliate member. Friday Harbor will serve as an expert adviser to CHLA’s lender members on the use of artificial intelligence in housing finance….
DocMagic One launches to unify mortgage production under a single, AI-powered platform
TORRANCE, Calif. — DocMagic, Inc. today announced the launch of DocMagic® One, a new platform for lenders that eliminates the inefficiencies of juggling multiple systems by bringing every critical loan manufacturing step into a single, intuitive platform. Document preparation, compliance checks, collaboration between borrowers, title agents and settlement agents, and closing coordination all happen in one place. Role-based permissions and organizational hierarchies keep tasks moving without bottlenecks….
Refinances surge nearly 70% as purchase activity falls 10% in August
PLANO, Texas — Optimal Blue today released its August 2025 Market Advantage mortgage data report, which found a sharp split between purchase and refinance trends as seasonal factors and falling rates reshaped origination activity. Total lock volume dipped about 2% month over month (MoM) as a roughly 10% drop in purchase locks outweighed the strongest month for rate-and-term refinances this year, which surged nearly 70%….
New fund taps into generational investment opportunity in California property
DANVILLE, Calif. — A new mortgage income fund has been launched with a target of $50 million in capital commitments to address California’s unique housing and lending gap. Central Mortgage Income Fund (Central) has been founded by Bay Area property veterans Dan and Ben Dianda to invest in short-term, real estate-backed loans across California….
Home equity fintech FirstClose promotes Andria Lightfoot to vice president of client success
AUSTIN, Texas — FirstClose™, a leading fintech provider of data and workflow solutions for mortgage and home equity lenders nationwide, announced today the promotion of Andria Lightfoot to vice president of client success. In her new role, Lightfoot will join the sales and revenue organization and be responsible for implementation and customer success strategy….
Friday Harbor announces integration with ICE Mortgage Technology’s Encompass
SEATTLE, Wash. — Friday Harbor, an AI-powered platform that helps loan officers assemble complete and compliant loan files in real time, today announced its new integration with the Encompass® loan origination system (LOS) from ICE Mortgage Technology, part of Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE: ICE), a leading global provider of data, technology and market infrastructure. Built using ICE’s latest Developer Connect API framework for mortgage technology, the integration enables seamless use of Friday Harbor within the Encompass environment….
Click n’ Close launches SmartBuy 5/1 ARM DPA product to help builders address affordability challenges
ADDISON, Texas — Click n’ Close, a multi-state mortgage lender, today announced the launch of its SmartBuy 5/1 ARM Down Payment Assistance (DPA) product, designed specifically to help home builders address affordability concerns and support new home sales….
Down Payment Resource CEO Rob Chrane named a 2025 HousingWire Vanguard
ATLANTA, Ga. — Down Payment Resource (DPR), the housing industry’s leading technology for connecting homebuyers with homebuyer assistance programs, today announced that founder and CEO Rob Chrane has been named a 2025 HousingWire Vanguard. The prestigious award recognizes C-level executives whose leadership reshapes the housing economy and drives meaningful progress in mortgage and real estate….
DocMagic CEO and Co-Founder Pat Theodora honored with 2025 HousingWire Vanguard Award
TORRANCE, Calif. — DocMagic, Inc. today announced that CEO and Co-Founder Pat Theodora has been named a recipient of the 2025 HousingWire Vanguard Award. This recognition honors C-level professionals and business leaders who are making a significant impact on the housing economy through bold vision, enduring leadership and forward-thinking innovation….
Informative Research Chief Experience Officer Matt Orlando Named 2025 HousingWire Vanguard
GARDEN GROVE, Calif. — Informative Research (IR), a leading technology provider of data-driven credit and verification solutions for the lending industry, today announced that Chief Experience Officer Matt Orlando has been named a 2025 HousingWire Vanguard….