In M&A news, Ellington Financial has agreed to buy Great Ajax in all-stock deal.

Struggling alongside a slow purchase market, originations of adjustable-rate mortgages fell in the first quarter of the year. (Includes data chart.)

A former chief of staff accused the Change Company of wrongful termination and whistleblower retaliation in a lawsuit, while Change said it terminated the employee after numerous reports of misconduct and safety concerns.

The platform offers end-to-end support and closing times measured in days, not weeks.

As jumbo originations stagnated in 2022, jumbo loan application denial rates didn’t change very much. (Includes data chart.)

After deploying new solutions for the non-QM market, Maxex has partnered with South Street Securities Holdings and Atlas Merchant Capital for a new equity investment round.

Netherlands-based Anyone.com is the latest to throw its hat into the growing shared-ownership mortgage space. Its goal is to stretch available financing to assist as many homebuyers as possible.

The Loan Store launches HELOC product; LendingPros debuts condotel financing solution; Carrington Mortgage introduces 40-year fixed-rate terms for non-QM products; RenoFi partners with TruStage for after-renovation-value HELOCs; WAMC merges with Terra Property Trust; UWM announces four new bank statement loan options.

The Mortgage Industry Standards Maintenance Organization released its private-label residential MBS specifications, aimed at making it easier for ratings services to review MBS.

The new connections and funding are designed to make the loan trading platform available to more sellers, particularly those that focus on agency business.