CoesterVMS, a nationwide appraisal management company, has folded its tent, the apparent victim of a slowing mortgage market and other woes. As the weekend approached, the front door of the Gaithersburg, MD-based company was locked, its website down, and calls to the vendor were put on hold almost immediately.

Private equity firm Thoma Bravo this week agreed to buy mortgage software giant Ellie Mae for roughly $3.7 billion in cash, a price some believe is too expensive based on the vendor’s declining revenue base.

The share price of mortgage software giant Ellie Mae took off like a rocket early this week after rumors began swirling around the industry that the company is pondering a sale.