Have you been asked to join the Trump Administration’new group focusing on mortgage finance policy? No? My cat Myrtle hasn't gotten the nod (yet) either, but if you want on, you'd better give them a call. Mark Calabria, chief economist to Vice President Mike Pence, said the Trump administration is developing a group to focus on mortgage finance policy. "You will see in a few months a set of principles, and then we'll go from there," Calabria said.

Let's play catch up on some recent vendor news, especially ahead of the MBA's Tech conference next week.

PCLender's next generation of service has integrated consumer direct, automated workflow, and the agency's new technology suites. PCLender is not only prepared for the new HMDA regulatory changes but also has made dramatic updates to the dashboard reporting functionality and the look and feel of the user interface, creating an intuitive experience to further simplify today's lending complexities for community banks, credit unions and mortgage bankers.

Indecomm Global Services, a leading provider of business process as a service (BPaaS), software as a service (SaaS) technology, and learning products for the mortgage industry, announced it will be presenting next generation automation technologies in its Kaizen risk management and IncomeGenius income analysis mortgage platforms at the MBA Technology conference next week.

In a move that will create one of the largest fintech companies in the world, Vista Equity Partners is acquiring software maker D+H and intends to merge it with software maker Misys, the company reports. The combined company will have a global footprint and the broadest set of financial software solutions available on the market, with approximately $2.2 billion in revenues, around 10,000 employees and more than 9,000 customers across 130 countries, including 48 of the top 50 banks, per Vista Equity Partners.

Ten-year old MountainView Capital Holdings and its subsidiaries are launching a new name and a new look: a new logo, new branding and a new website. Its parent company is now known as MountainView Financial Solutions, LLC. The company has also launched a new, more comprehensive website at MViewFS.com. MountainView has previously operated under multiple service names, including MountainView Servicing Group, MountainView Capital Group, MountainView Risk Advisors, MountainView IPS, and McGuire Performance Solutions.

eEndorsements announced the launch of its next generation. eEndorsements 'client review content management system serves the mortgage industry by making it easy to manage client testimonials across the internet. The latest release allows for greater connectivity with back office solutions such as LOS, CRM and Mobile Apps, along with optimized social media automation to spread social proof to new prospective clients. eEndorsements offers individual plans for loan officers as well as enterprise solutions for mortgage companies; visit eendorsements.com for your free profile.

Valuation Management Group announced its renewal as a Georgia Bankers Association (GBA) Strategic Partner. Valuation Management Group handles the entire real estate appraisal process. This includes: approving the appraisers, managing the appraiser panel, handling the bid process for complex residential appraisal assignments and commercial appraisal assignments, engaging the appraisers and performing a robust, quality technical appraisal review.

MetaSource, provider of business process management (BPM), workflow, and compliance solutions, has acquired Dallas-based Orion Financial Group. This acquisition expands and adds depth to its existing lien release offering for its portfolio of solutions. Orion Financial Group has experience providing mortgage assignments, lien releases and document retrieval to mortgage servicers, investors, credit unions, and lenders.

Vantedge launched its Vantedge Real-Time Predictive Marketing (RPM), a fully managed data-driven marketing service tailored for credit unions. The subscription-based service combines real-time predictive analytics, dynamic campaign management, personalized multi-channel message delivery and ROI measurement with marketing advisory services. Vantedge RPM leverages transactional, lifestyle and other behavioral data as well as predictive modeling to help credit unions truly understand and even anticipate the needs of individual members, serving them highly relevant and personalized advertisements at the precise moment they're considering a purchase.

Ellie Mae announced the introduction of its Ellie Mae's Encompass Consumer Connect. Delivering a state-of-the-art, completely branded and unique self-service online loan origination experience for homebuyers. Lenders will be able to quickly turn interest into applications by extending their brand to consumers with a fully configurable, drag and drop website builder. Completed applications automatically flow into the loan officer's pipeline within the Encompass mortgage management solution. Incomplete applications can be quickly followed up to gain that borrower's business and extend the relationship and ensure compliance.

FormFree's automated asset verification service, AccountChek, is now available through Ellie Mae's Encompass Consumer Connect. The integration allows Encompass users to verify and share asset and deposit information with their lenders in seconds without uploading bank statements. AccountChek's cloud-based app securely connects with virtually any financial institution to consolidate, analyze and verify assets and deposits, delivering a safe and hassle-free experience for borrowers and greater purchase certainty for lenders.

Simplifile's Collaboration and Post Closing services will be available this month through Ellie Mae's Encompass all-in-one mortgage management solution. The seamless integration allows Encompass users to collaborate with settlement agents via Simplifile and work together seamlessly on documents and disclosure data from pre-closing to post closing. Simplifile Collaboration enables lenders to work directly with their settlement agents to share, receive, and validate disclosure data, documents, and transaction details. Simplifile Post Closing provides lenders with real-time updates on the recording status of documents, then closes the loop on the entire mortgage transaction by delivering the final title policy and fee data electronically.

Lenders One and the Mortgage Bankers Association have formed an alliance that will provide new benefits to both Lenders One and the MBA members. Because of the new agreement, Lenders One members who join the MBA will receive a discount on their first year of MBA membership dues as well as savings on MBA products and services. MBA members will be eligible to join Lenders One and receive a discount on their cooperative dues as well as other benefits.

Optimal Blue announced a new partnership with Blend, the leading digital mortgage solution, to integrate their pricing engine into Blend's platform. The partnership will allow lenders using both Optimal Blue and Blend to seamlessly access pricing workflows within Blend, making the entire mortgage application process significantly more efficient and transparent.

Altisource launched noteXchange, a state-of-the-art proprietary mortgage trading platform. noteXchange is a secondary market trading platform that brings buyers and sellers together in a centralized exchange that enables better communications, shorter sales cycles and automated processes with real time pricing data coming from Thomson Reuters.

Require Holdings, LLC, announced it has completed its acquisition of Deeds on Demand. Deeds on Demand is the first Internet-based deed and real estate document service designed to provide fast, accurate and integrated document preparation services. Deeds on Demand's services will be merged with reQuire Real Estate Solutions, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Require Holdings, that services the title insurance industry.

eOriginal, Inc. has been selected as the technology solution provider for the Fannie Mae next generation electronic vault (eVault). Fannie Mae is committed to enhancing the digital mortgage revolution and removing obstacles to eMortgage adoption through a modern, secure, and scalable platform. eOriginal's hosted platform enables the secure management of electronically signed assets (eNotes) throughout their post-execution lifecycle. In addition to investing in new eVault infrastructure, Fannie Mae is also simplifying eMortgage adoption by transitioning to the MISMO SMART Doc Version 3.0 format in 2017.

Stewart Title Insurance, and ClosingCorp, announced that rates and fees from Stewart's nationwide network of Stewart Title offices are now available to lenders through ClosingCorp's SmartFees platform. SmartFees will support, capture and verify title rates and fees from the entire network of Stewart Title offices nationwide, enabling lenders to obtain quotes for loan estimates (LEs) and closings. SmartFees integrates loan file information, transfer tax and recording data, service provider fees from more than 70,000 rate cards, and lender business rules and requirements into a single, seamless process and platform.

Capital Markets

Another day, another rally - and yesterday both stock and bond prices improved. The February Existing Home Sales report was the big data release and showed sales declining more than expected on lower inventories. But the median selling price was up 7.7% y/y to $228,400, and the median time on the market was 45 days, down from 59 one year ago. First-time buyers were 32% of sales. The FHFA Housing Price Index was unchanged m/m in January (+5.7% y/y). December's growth was 0.4%.

Economists and traders are now opining on "bull flattening" - the Fed has raised short term rates yet the long end of the yield curve hasn't moved. The bull flattening of the treasury curve aided lower mortgage rates prices although originator supply was relatively muted with treasuries in rally mode with some hedge adjustments as some commitments are likely to fall out given the recent rate rally. By the time the dust settled the 10-year note had improved more than .250 in price (to yield 2.40%) while 5-year notes and 30-year agency MBS prices improved between .125-.250 depending on coupon and security.

The big news overnight was reports of a "deal" between Trump/Ryan and the House Freedom Caucus that should help drag the health care bill through the House later today, but in a way that will all but doom it in the Senate. The bigger question remains when will the GOP pivot away from healthcare and address tax reform? This morning we've already had Initial Jobless Claims (+15k to 258k, a 7-week high). Coming up is New Home Sales. The US House of Representatives is also expected to vote on the current GOP proposal to repeal and replace the ACA (aka Obamacare). We commence the day with the 10-year at 2.41% and agency MBS prices a shade down/worse versus Wednesday night.

Jobs and Announcements

Verus Mortgage Capital, a leading Non-Agency/Non-QM correspondent investor, continues to see record monthly volumes due to its "expansive product offering and new correspondent sellers joining the platform monthly." "Many companies are looking to Verus and its innovative product offering to offset the impact from higher rates" said Dane Smith President of Verus. In February Verus's affiliate Invictus Capital Partners completed its first rated securitization backed by Non-QM loans acquired by Verus, only the second investor to issue a rated transaction backed by non-prime mortgages following the financial crisis. The pool included loans with alternative documentation sources such as bank statements for self-employed borrowers, consumers with prior credit events, and business purpose loans to investors. Verus Mortgage Capital is adding additional correspondent sales people nationwide to keep up with new client demand" said Smith. If you would like to be part of a fast-growing company that values its employees and is committed to making "common sense loans" please email your resume to Jeff Schaefer, EVP, National Correspondent Sales.

Mann Mortgage, "a growing and dynamic multi-state lending company seeks a qualified Chief Operations Officer to join its Executive Management Team. The person will direct, plan and organize all activities of loan operations, to include underwriting, closing, shipping, funding and post-closing to ensure effective, efficient and risk neutral loan serves to branch offices. An ideal candidate will be knowledgeable of the entire mortgage loan process including FHA, VA and RD requirements. Strong underwriting knowledge is a must and DE preferred. The company offers outstanding benefits and an informal team-oriented work environment. Submit your resume directly to Mann via jobs@mannmortgage.com. 

Jeremy Walker joined Pacific Union as Retail Regional Vice President for the Southeast region. Pacific Union Financial LLC is growing its Retail division once again, and Mr. Walker will be responsible for expanding the Retail branch network and increasing the current reach of Pacific Union to consumers. As the Southeast Regional Vice President, he will be responsible for North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Are you interested in joining the growing Pacific Union Southeast sales team? If so, please contact Jeremy Walker. 

In California "The Daily Press announced, 'PRMG VOTED No. 1 BEST Mortgage Company in the DESERT!' PRMG originally opened its doors in the California High Desert over 15 years ago, centered around the ideology of 'built by originators for originators.' PRMG not only established its roots in the California High Desert, but has grown to over 1,300 employees with 93 branches across the country, demonstrating that when you have the best people working for a great company it makes it much easier to gain the confidence and trust by the loyal customers they serve. Congratulations to PRMG Hesperia and Victorville Branches! To learn more, please email Paul Lucido, National Marketing Director."

In more personnel news LoanLogics, specializing in loan quality management and performance analytics, announced that 26-year veteran mortgage credit executive Elliot Salzman has joined the company as Chief Credit Officer responsible for enhancing and overseeing the credit policy functions of the LoanLogics LoanHD platform to deliver a more comprehensive approach to ensuring loan quality as well as overseeing the organization's Credit Quality Policies and Procedures.