Home Point to offer HELOCs on blockchain; Gateway hits funding record, opens centers in Utah & S.D.; CSC adds 105 eRecording counties in 33 states
WILL BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY REVOLUTIONIZE MORTGAGE LENDING? MOODY’S HAS calculated that the annual cost-savings resulting from distributed ledger technology, or blockchain-based mortgage application processes, could be as high as $1.7 billion and will profoundly change home buying. That, however, is still in the future. So far, only a few of the nation’s top mortgage lender-servicers are taking it for a test drive. Home Point Financial is one of the pioneers. Home Point announced it is now offering “a white-labeled digital…
RECORD HOME FINANCING DEMAND FROM LOCAL COMMUNITIES IS DRIVING the Gateway Mortgage Group to spread out its local presence. A division of Gateway First Bank, Gateway Mortgage announced the opening of two new mortgage centers in Utah and in South Dakota to accommodate a significant surge in refinancing requests as people rush to take advantage of the low rates. Gateway reported it has seen a record-breaking volume since 2019 and in 2020. This year, amid the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, “and just after the company celebrated the 20th anniversary,” Gateway’s monthly mortgage funding hit a new record high of…
THE PANDEMIC HAS BEEN GOOD NEWS FOR COUNTY LEVEL, ELECTRONIC document recording (eRecording). It appears that COVID-19 and social distancing are motivating the growing expansion of digital document recording. eRecording provider CSC is one such contributor that announced it has added 105…
EVENTS
Expert insights
EXCLUSIVE: Q&A with Craig Phillips
Last November, Craig...
Commercial real estate leases: Reducing losses spurred by remote workforces
Why office leasing...
EXCLUSIVE: Writing the next chapter in American homeownership
As coronavirus...
Profiles
#NEXTraordinary People: Keosha Burns
KEOSHA BURNS IS A TOTAL EXTROVERT. SHE LOVES THE BIG CITY. Even her dog is a big city kind of guy. They found their happy place in the heart of New York City.
That is, until the pandemic hit. Now, New York City is locked down tight. So, they are taking a break down south. On March 14, Burns and her French Bulldog, Winston Charles IV, headed to Charlottesville, Virginia, to find a little breathing room, away from the pandemic. We reached her on April 9, on her cell, out in the garden, working remotely.
Like most of us she’s been living life under quarantine, far from New York, in a strange state (geographically speaking), missing the buzz of the big city.
When they are home, Winston, a 3-year old, 31-pound Frenchie, loves his walks in Marcus Garvey Park (where he’s something of a celebrity.) On good days (say, two/three months ago), they would stroll down 125thStreet near their place, past the Whole Foods, on the way to the park.
#NEXTraordinary People: Cerita Battles
CERITA BATTLES KNEW, AT 10, SHE WANTED TO BE A BANKER. That tells you something, right there. Because what 10-year old growing up in a beautiful, historic, seaside, Florida city, says her ultimate career goal is to be a banker?Olympic swimmer, maybe? Marine biologist, possibly? Lead singer in a band, or top vet at a zoo, or Mariah Carey, maybe? But banker? I don’t think so. (Or, let’s just say, it’s not likely. At 10, I mean. For me, personally, anyway.) But this, of course, is not your typical 10-year old. Not even close. Let me introduce you to Cerita J. Battles, of St. Augustine, Florida. She’s pretty much always known what she wanted in life. And today, (yes) she’s a successful banker. And I have no doubt she was one, smart, ambitious, independent-minded, 10-year old…
#NEXTraordinary People: Megan Darnell
MEGAN DARNELL: JEANS AND BARE FEET Megan Darnell is new to the mortgage business. She’s actually new to all of financial services. She never worked on Wall Street. And she didn’t hedge servicing portfolios. She wasn’t a loan officer or an underwriter. So what did she...