The MOVEIt ransomware attack has impacted as many as 1,172 companies, including mortgage lenders and servicers.

High interest rates push down rate lock activity in August; Guaranteed Rate touts five-minute approvals; startup aims to link homebuyers with assumable mortgages; foreclosures increase; MISMO updates offerings.

The mortgage industry has been slow to adopt eClosing despite the fact that it could help reduce origination costs and streamline business processes.

Blend is taking steps to turn a profit after years of losses. The moves include increasing revenue per mortgage transaction and decreasing expenses through layoffs.

Lenders are entering cost-cutting mode and looking to leverage new technologies to lower overhead while streamlining operations.

High interest rates are cutting into demand for mortgages; many consumers’ expectations for interest rates are wrong; ICE and Black Knight move close to merger; servicer using blockchain, lender guarantees underwriting results from AI; Flagstar’s mortgage tech accelerator; mortgage payoff fraud attempts increase.

Mr. Cooper’s servicing portfolio is expanding while the number of employees in the nonbank’s call center is declining. Investment in technology is helping to reduce costs and fuel servicing growth.

Loan originators are increasingly using holistic technologies to reach new leads and nurture old ones.

SEC approves Better-Aurora merger; FICO increasing mortgage revenue as originations decline; Rithm to spin off most of its origination/servicing business; impact of revised capital requirements for large banks.

ICE and Black Knight plan to sell Black Knight’s pricing platform in order to win approval from the FTC of a planned merger. Affiliates of Constellation Software have agreed to acquire Optimal Blue.