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Reverse Mortgage Daily

How Reverse Mortgage Originators Adapt Marketing Efforts to COVID-19
Reverse mortgage loan originators have had to adapt to a host of new difficulties in light of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, one of which being a refinement of the way they aim to connect with new borrowers and get the word out about the reverse mortgage product category. For some, the methods they’ve always used […]
Investment Firm Touts Longbridge’s Reverse Mortgage Success in Earnings Call
Mortgage investment firm Ellington Financial LLC (NYSE: EFC) released its Q2 2020 earnings results last week, and has touted the success of top 10 reverse mortgage lender Longbridge Financial, describing the lender’s performance as a “driver” of positive performance in its mortgage investments portfolio. “The Company’s investments in loan originators had strong performance during the […]
Financial Planners and Reverse Mortgages: Pinpointing Hurdles, Presenting Solutions
While there are some restrictions placed upon financial planners by broker dealers and investment advisor firms in terms of discussing reverse mortgage options with clients, another element that may get in the way of reverse mortgage solutions being presented is adequate education and awareness of how the product category can be leveraged as a tool […]
L.A. Times: Reverse Mortgage an Option After Pandemic Job Loss
A reverse mortgage is one possible option for a person aged 62 or older who has experienced a job loss as a result of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, but the viability of the option is highly dependent on the individual situation of the senior in question. This is according to Liz Weston, a certified financial […]
As LIBOR Sunset Nears, Reverse Mortgage Industry Prepares for What’s Next
The reverse mortgage industry, in consultation with federal agencies and industry stakeholders, is taking active steps to prepare for the sunset of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) index, which is scheduled to end in 2021. Work between capital markets experts, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA, […]
Forbes: Home Equity Can Help Solve the Retirement Crisis
As the United States continues to endure a retirement crisis that has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, the home is an asset with continuously understated potential to assist with cash flow for retirees. This is especially true considering that the home is likely to be the largest asset that the majority of […]
Alternative Equity Tapping Company Takes Aim at Reverse Mortgage Demographic
Newport Beach, Calif.-based alternative equity tapping company QuantmRE has launched a $1.07 million financing campaign through a crowd-funding platform, and has taken aim at a demographic of potential customers that normally interact with the reverse mortgage product category. This is based on an interview with QuantmRE CEO Matthew Sullivan conducted by RMD. Part of the […]
Washington Post: Reverse Mortgage a Possible Option for ‘Underwater’ Homeowner
For a senior struggling with their home due to their mortgage being “underwater” — defined as the mortgage balance on a home exceeding its fair market value — a reverse mortgage could present a potentially viable option to unlock a home’s equity compared with other available options. This is according to reporters Ilyce Glink and […]
Tech Brings Forward and Reverse Mortgages Closer Together, Expanding Opportunity
As the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated the reverse mortgage industry to more quickly embrace new kinds of technologies in order to continue efficiently keeping the business moving, the additional benefit that comes with that transition is that operational processes are being brought more closely in-line with the way the traditional, forward mortgage space operates. This […]
BBB: Reverse Mortgages Must Be a ‘Family Decision’
Consumers need to fully understand all of the associated costs, terms and conditions prior to applying for a reverse mortgage transaction, and that the ultimate decision made by a senior homeowner at or over the age of 62 should be in consultation with a prospective borrower’s family or other trusted advisors. This is the perspective […]

Reverse Market Insight

HECM Originators – June 2020
HECM endorsements dropped back in June as the backlog clearing spike in May receded. Volume declined 16.4% to 4,203 loans, which was still good for second highest month in more than a year. A few lenders were still up on the month: HighTech jumped 604% to 169 loans, catching up from an April drought and… […]
HECM Lenders – July 2020
HECM endorsements grew 1.1% in July to 4,256 loans, lending further credibility to the increased volume levels since initial pandemic slowdowns in endorsement processing for March-April were overcome. Six of the ten regions around the country grew in the month: New England paced the pack, rising 11.2% to 109 loans Southeast/Caribbean jumped 9.3% to 751… […]
HECM Originators – May 2020
HECM endorsements recovered dramatically in May after HUD and lender operations challenges related to the pandemic constrained volume in April. Rather than comparing May to April, it makes more sense to compare Apr/May average to the Q1 average for each lender to see how their endorsement volumes are trending: FAR leads the way with 30.7%… […]
HECM Lenders – June 2020
HECM endorsements fell -16.5% in June from a inflated May total artificially by the backlog from April, but still registered the second highest monthly total in a year. June was 7.4% above the next highest month (January) and underlines the increased activity many lenders have been discussing since shortly after the pandemic started. Just 1… […]
HECM Originators – April 2020
We already know that April HECM endorsements dropped off a cliff and recovered in May, which strongly suggested that April’s volume had a lot of other factors than a drop in HECM lending behind the decline. We now have more detailed data to confirm just how noisy the month was, so rather than analyze it… […]
HECM Lenders – May 2020
Last month we weren’t depressed by incredibly low April HECM endorsement numbers, and this month we look at the figures as catching up rather than some new trend. HECM endorsements more than tripled in May, leaping 214.7% to 5,038 loans. Averaging April and May figures together would have the industry at 3,320 loans per month,… […]
HECM Originators – March 2020
HECM endorsements dropped -14.1% in March to 2,905 loans. The top 10 outperformed again, dropping -11.1%. 4 of the top 10 lenders bucked the trend entirely and grew on the month: HighTech recovered 38.2% to 47 loans Fairway continued an impressive run, notching 197 loans and 31.3% growth from Feb FAR jumped 21.8% to 586… […]
HECM Lenders – April 2020
The coronavirus pandemic has distorted many numbers, and we can add one more casualty. HECM endorsements crashed -45% in April to 1,601 loans, lower than the low put in Dec 2018 (1,751) after the last round of PLF and rate floor changes from HUD. While we’d normally be very concerned about this level of drop,… […]
HECM Originators – February 2020
HECM endorsements dropped -13.7% in February to 3,381 loans after a truly impressive start to 2020. The top 10 as a group did a bit better, dropping -11.9%, but as always some lenders had strong performances: Fairway jumped 61.3% to 150 loans, their highest showing in over a year Liberty grew 20.3% to finish with… […]
HECM Lenders – March 2020
HECM endorsements declined -14% in February, continuing the decline seen in February.. None of the 10 regions we track were up on the month, with only one (Northwest/Alaska) unchanged for the period. One a better note, three of the top ten lenders saw volume increases: American Advisors Group volume was up 108 units to 799… […]