Headquartered in Dallas, TX, Neighborhood Credit Union has 14 branches throughout Texas serving more than 50,000 members. Last year, the credit union launched their home equity lending department and in just 12 months has originated over $1.3 million in home equity transactions. For this relatively new product category, home equity is quickly gaining traction as a reliable contributor to their total mortgage business.

By using FirstClose’s settlement services ordering technology, Neighborhood Credit Union has been able to significantly reduce turn times and increase loan officer productivity while providing exceptional member experience. The integration with MeridianLink Consumer has shifted processors’ time from heavy administrative tasks to building member relationships by reviewing only items requiring attention.

“Last year we officially opened the doors to our home equity department in order to better serve our members who want to access the equity in their homes. FirstClose has been our home equity ordering platform since day one and it’s been a complete game-changer,” said Jacqueline Montanez, Residential Lending Manager at Neighborhood Credit Union. “It’s become our one-stop-shop for everything home equity and has been able to help us expedite our origination process and provide a seamless, end-to-end experience for our members.”

FirstClose Equity is a one-of-a-kind home equity origination solution that reduces operational touchpoints and improves the overall customer experience for borrowers, processors, and underwriters. Automated workflows, including the ordering of settlement services, enable lenders to complete the application through closing process in five to ten days versus the industry average of 45 to 60 days.

“We’re excited to be powering Neighborhood Credit Union’s new home equity business,” said Tedd Smith, Chief Executive Officer at FirstClose. “Our Equity solution will help Neighborhood Credit Union reduce costs and increase efficiency by providing one-click access to order all the necessary property information and services needed to originate home equity loans and HELOCs.”

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The FHLB of San Francisco is a vital financial institution dedicated to providing reliable liquidity, funding, and support to its member institutions. As a member, Change Lending gains access to a diverse range of financial products and services that will bolster its lending capacity and liquidity and allow it to better serve its customers.

“Joining the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco underscores our dedication to empowering individuals and communities through accessible and affordable home lending,” said Carlos Salas, CEO of Change Lending. “We are thrilled to collaborate with the FHLB of San Francisco to enhance our offerings and advance our mission of making homeownership dreams a reality.”

Change Lending’s membership in the FHLB of San Francisco aligns with its strategic goals of fostering economic growth, promoting homeownership, and supporting community development initiatives. By leveraging the resources and expertise of the FHLB, Change Lending aims to strengthen its position as a trusted partner in the financial services industry.

Change Lending is a community development financial institution certified by the United States Department of the Treasury. Change focuses on making home loans to underserved, prime homeowners. Since becoming a CDFI in 2018, Change Lending’s lending has focused on Black, Latino, Filipino, Vietnamese, Disabled, and low-income borrowers, and borrowers who reside in low-income communities.

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The rating validates LoanCare’s comprehensive understanding of the complexities involved in servicing home equity lines of credit (HELOC). Due to the added requirements in second lien operations, knowing what’s required for statements, ensuring interest calculations are accurate, and managing onboarding setup is critical. For customers, it’s about educating them on the options and then providing the support tools they need to successfully manage the various scenarios. For clients, it’s about maximizing the return on their investment in HELOCs. From robust lien, credit and equity monitoring to vigorous fraud and regulatory controls that are best managed by a team of HELOC specialists, LoanCare delivers consistently outstanding service.

“LoanCare has consistently invested in technology and training to enable superior customer service and seamless, compliant HELOC management. Flexible draw, variable rates, promotional rates – our mortgage servicing platform (MSP) handles it all,” said Dave Worrall, President of LoanCare. “In today’s high interest rate environment, lenders are looking for quality, compliant and cost effective servicing support for home equity lines of credit, second liens, and construction loans. We have the technology, processes, and people in place to support these products and more.”

Fitch Ratings is a prominent rating agency that evaluates the viability of investments concerning the probability of default. Its residential mortgage servicing oversight and ratings are based on a variety of factors such as a company’s management, financial conditions, corporate governance, loan administration, defaulted and nonperforming loan management, and technology.

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Kenyon has a storied career with notable positions at Seattle Mortgage, Countrywide, and Bank of America. His leadership has been crucial in guiding companies through acquisitions and expanding into home building. Since joining Sound Capital in 2018, his passion for construction and innovative financing solutions has significantly contributed to the company’s growth and leadership in new construction lending.

Under Kenyon’s guidance, Sound Capital is set to expand its services and further establish itself as the preferred financial ally for midsize home builders in rapidly expanding U.S. markets. Targeting builders facing challenges with traditional bank lending, Sound Capital offers adaptable, profitable financing options to speed construction timelines and boost client profitability.

“I’m deeply honored to assume the President role at Sound Capital,” Kenyon remarked. “It’s a chance to leverage our team’s capabilities and creativity to better meet our clients’ needs, always prioritizing their requirements in our operations.”

Kenyon will spearhead Sound Capital deepening its commitment to exceptional service and broadening its support to more home builders. His dedication to home building and understanding of builders’ entrepreneurial spirit uniquely equip him to lead Sound Capital into a future as a vital contributor to the construction industry.

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“The success of our crypto mortgage over the past few months serves as a testament to our ability to pioneer and create a unique solution for the crypto community,” said Josip Rupena, founder and CEO of Milo. “We have incredible momentum and see a fundamental need to help individuals diversify their wealth to generate real world yield through real estate. In today’s volatile environment, our crypto mortgage is an excellent solution for clients who wish to continue to own crypto and invest in real estate, all while keeping the potential price appreciation of both.”

Earlier this year, Milo became the first to offer a mortgage that bridges the world of digital assets with traditional finance by allowing investors to qualify with Bitcoin, Ethereum, and USDC. To purchase property, clients can pledge their crypto with regulated and insured custodians (Gemini and Coinbase) and finance up to 100% of their purchase with no down payment required. Those who qualify can take advantage of low interest rates and a 30-year crypto mortgage up to $5 million.

“Bridging the gap between traditional finance and crypto is one of the most important pieces of the puzzle to make cryptocurrency and blockchain more ubiquitous in our daily lives,” said Miami Mayor Francis Suarez. “With their mortgage product, Milo has already proven that the future of finance will serve to build wealth just like the financial tools of the past.”

Real estate is a critical component to build wealth over time and many crypto consumers have been denied the opportunity and have resorted to riskier ways of generating yield as a result.

“Given the current state of the market, we’re extremely proud that we have not had any margin calls or negative counterparty exposure, all while continuing to originate mortgages,” said Rupena. “As a licensed and regulated entity, we take our responsibility seriously to ensure our clients’ crypto is safe and returned when requested. Milo has added over 20 team members since launch and we look forward to releasing an exciting crypto refinance and non-rehypothecation option shortly.”

During this time, Milo has also provided thousands of borrowers with crypto mortgage pre-qualifications, designed to preemptively let borrowers know how much they can afford. The company’s other mortgage solution for U.S. and foreign nationals has already originated over $100 million in loans and has seen applicants from over 90 countries. Milo is a direct lender that is licensed, audited, insured and can stand behind its commitment to lend to its clients with certainty of closing.

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Spark Real Estate is led by top-producing agent David Haghighi, who has a decades-long reputation for getting fast results and steering his clients in the right direction. With a background in marketing and business law, as well as construction expertise, Haghighi believes that real estate is the best way to build wealth and establish a legacy. To date, he’s served more than 250 families in Carlsbad, San Marcos, Escondido, and San Diego.

Partnering with Side will ensure Spark Real Estate remains at the forefront of an evolving real estate market, while allowing its agents to continue delivering premium services to their clients. Spark Real Estate agents are fully supported by a one-of-a-kind premium brokerage platform, which provides transaction management, property marketing, lead generation, business growth opportunities, vendor management, and infrastructure solutions.

“The Spark team is comprised of energetic allies dedicated to helping clients make sound investments that deliver for generations to come,” Haghighi said. “Teaming up with Side to manage and optimize our back-end operations just made sense, because it allows us to use our time to remain laser-focused on servicing clients.”

Side is led by experienced industry professionals and world-class engineers who develop technology designed to improve agent productivity and enhance the client experience. Based on its belief that homeownership is a fundamental human right, Side is on a mission to improve the public good by providing top-performing real estate agents, teams and indie brokerages with the best system, support, service, experience, and results.

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Olani Properties is the brainchild of Kiana Rodrigues, a fourth-generation real estate agent known for her Northern California market expertise and commitment to raising industry standards. Through her work as a mentor and coach, Rodrigues has trained agents and brokers throughout the U.S. on industry best practices, with the goal of ensuring that clients receive the highest level of care. Her handpicked team at Olani Properties abides by this mission, offering Placer and Sacramento County buyers and sellers high-touch, personalized experiences.

Partnering with Side will guarantee that Olani Properties remains at the cutting edge of the dynamic real estate market while allowing its agents to continue delivering exceptional services to their clients. Olani Properties agents are fully supported by a one-of-a-kind premium brokerage platform, which provides transaction management, property marketing, lead generation, business growth opportunities, vendor management, and infrastructure solutions.

“My family has worked in the industry for four generations, so I grew up living, breathing and learning about real estate from the best in the business,” says Rodrigues. “Having been an agent since 2009, I know how critical it is to be an early adopter, and embrace new technology and techniques. Side’s state-of-the-art marketing, technology, administrative, and legal services complement and uplevel our full-service concierge model.”

Side is led by experienced industry professionals and world-class engineers who develop technology designed to improve agent productivity and enhance the client experience. Based on its belief that homeownership is a fundamental human right, Side is on a mission to improve the public good by providing top-performing agents with the best real estate service, experience, and results. Launched in 2017, Side now powers over 700 real estate agents from the top 2% of the industry’s top producing teams.

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Chris Eller joins The Cassina Group after serving as Broker-in-Charge for his own real estate company. A native of Charleston, Eller has been in the real estate field for over 17 years. In addition to having his broker’s license, he also has his builder’s license as well as several designations including CRS, CSP, ePro and GREEN. Whether working with buyers or sellers, his goal is to keep his clients as stress free as possible so they can enjoy the process and find their perfect home.

“I joined The Cassina Group because of the culture, technology and advanced marketing programs,” said Eller. “The Cassina Group’s reputation is outstanding in the luxury real estate market with their attention to detail in providing the best overall customer service. When you have an opportunity to find a company that operates with the same values as yours, it makes it an easy choice to join their team.”

Mary Beth Wichlei comes to The Cassina Group with over 16 years of experience in the industry. She has a diverse background working as a REALTOR® for buyers, sellers and national and regional home builders. She most recently worked in commercial real estate as a member of the #1 real estate team in Florida, where she focused on acquisitions and dispositions.

“In my 16 years of experience, I’ve found that surrounding myself with the best in the business to be of great importance,” said Wichlei. “It’s one of the many reasons I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of Charleston’s # 1 Boutique Real Estate Brokerage in 2020.”
The Cassina Group is known as Charleston’s innovation-driven real estate firm, with a proven reputation for delivering stronger results though leading-edge technology and building lasting relationships. For more information on The Cassina Group, please visit http://www.TheCassinaGroup.com.

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Multiple independent academic studies from top universities and economists reveal that homeowners who sell by owner are just as likely to sell their home and walk away with more money in their pocket than those that sold their home through a traditional commission based listing agent. “The results from these studies are profound and yet many home sellers are not aware of this data and how much money they can save to obtain the same outcome.” says Torstenson. fintech news

ShowPal’s comprehensive platform includes everything a home seller needs to sell their home by owner without hassles encountered with more primitive FSBO services. ShowPal’s services include: *A home value report & comparable market analysis *Professional real estate photos *Online completion of state required disclosures *Professional For Sale Yard Sign *Listing of the home on Zillow, Trulia, Redfin and Showpal.com *Social media and web ad marketing of the listing *Ability to upload any document for digital delivery to buyers prior to a showing *Home showing booking and alert system *ID verification of buyer’s before a home showing to promote safety *A home showing service for sellers that do not want to perform their own showings *Automated showing feedback platform *Offer and negotiation platform and *An integrated real estate attorney for transaction related milestones.

To learn more visit http://www.showpal.com

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