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84 AIME's broker community will have full access to Homebot in order to keep their clients engaged after closing with monthly branded digests that track a range of strategic financial scenarios. With a track record over 50% monthly engagement, Homebot is an indispensable platform for lenders and agents AIME said in a statement. "AIME's reputation in the wholesale lending industry is exceptional and incompa- rable. Homebot is honored to be selected as a strategic solution partner," said Ernie Graham, CEO, and Co-Founder of Homebot. "We look forward to helping AIME's network of independent mortgage brokers build stronger, lifelong relationships with their clients by engaging them with powerful wealth-building intelligence for the most important asset they will ever own—their home." AIME said that its members interested in learning more or signing up for the service could do so through the website Homebot. ai/aime. Additionally, AIME members will receive more information about Homebot in the association's regular communications and updates to members. AIME will also immediately begin educating members at the association's regional events and the national conference, Fuse. A Race to the Top Home Point Financial, a wholesale and correspondent mortgage lender based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is the fastest-growing nonbank mortgage lender in America, accord- ing to second-quarter data compiled by Inside Mortgage Finance. Home Point increased its loan volume by 98.5% from Q1 2019 through Q2 2019, outpacing several of the nation's largest lenders, including Wells Fargo (62%), Quicken Loans (43%), United Wholesale Mortgage (61%), and Chase (60%). "is is a major accomplishment for our team and for the broker and correspondent business partners we serve," said Phil Shoe- maker, Chief Business Officer at Home Point. "Our goal is to be the best lender for brokers and correspondents. e growth that we've experienced shows that our plan is resonat- ing within the market, and it's really exciting because we're only getting started. We remain focused on enhancing our platform to em- power our business partners and experienced staff to reach new levels of productivity." Home Point retains the servicing on over 95% of the loans it originates. e company now has more than 200,000 customers in its servicing portfolio. Many third-party lenders sell the servicing rights for the loans they originate soon after the customer closes on their loan. is can create confusion and communication challenges for borrowers, and disrupts a developing relationship in an important transaction. "Our business partners are trusting us with their customers, and we understand that our role as the servicer has a huge impact on their reputation and ability to earn repeat business," said Willie Newman, President and CEO of Home Point Financial. "It is for this reason that we are building an experience that will support the customers' entire homeownership journey and will create a stronger relationship between Home Point, the customer and our third-party partners. Ultimately, we intend on working with our partners to create customers for life." Home Point employs over 1,250 people na- tionally and is on pace to originate $20 billion in loan volume this year, roughly double their volume from 2019. rough the six-month mark of 2019, Home Point is ranked as a Top 25 overall lender in America, coming in at No. 23 with loan volume of $7.2 billion. OHIO Gauging Distressed Property Prices Ohio is among the top five states that post- ed an annual increase in third-party foreclo- sure auction sales, according to Auction.com's Distressed Market Outlook report. While Oklahoma saw a rise of 130% in third-party foreclosure auction sales, Wisconsin saw a rise of 47%, followed by Ohio at 34%, Virginia up at 32%, and Texas at 11%. e report noted that 25 states posted a year-over-year increase in the third-party buyer sales rate at foreclosure auctions, includ- ing New Jersey (up 22%), Florida (up 2%), North Carolina (up 7%), Missouri (up 3%), and Virginia (up 6%). Additionally, average fore- closure auction sales prices increased from a year ago in 36 states, including New Jersey (up 22%), Florida (up 2%), Texas (up 4%), Georgia (up 3%), and Illinois (up 12%). According to Auction.com, the over- all average sales price for properties sold at foreclosure auctions in Q1 2019 increased by 8% from the previous quarter to $147,115, or 7% higher than a year ago. is is the highest level since Auction.com began recording this data in Q1 2016. "Auction.com has digitized much of the foreclosure auction process over the past sev- eral years, giving us access to real-time trans- MICHIGAN Expanding Title Coverage ATA National Title Group, LLC (ATA), a full-service title insurance agency based in Farmington Hills, Michigan, announced that it has merged with InTitle Agency to expand its coverage in Ohio and Kentucky. Operating under the ATA umbrella, the new entity will remain as InTitle Agency. Terms of the transaction, which closed July 1, were not disclosed. "Our expansion with InTitle enables ATA's continued growth in our key markets with a company that has similar values and vision to ours," said William Robinson Jr., ATA President. "In addition, this expansion brings greater capacity to ATA with a broader range of people." InTitle Agency will maintain its office in Cincinnati, Ohio, as well as its 11 employees, adding to ATA's established Ohio presence. Currently, ATA operates four Talon opera- tions in the Columbus area, as well as numer- ous offices in Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan. "is acquisition is a great opportunity for InTitle, as it allows us to diversify our business with a company that offers a bigger footprint, broader range of services and new resources that will further enhance the services we provide to our clients," said Richard Rothfuss, President, InTitle Agency. Tech Innovations to Empower Homeowners e Michigan-based nonprofit, Asso- ciation of Independent Mortgage Experts (AIME), has announced its partnership with the consumer engagement platform Home- bot. rough this partnership, AIME will provide its member independent mortgage broker channels with powerful technology for empowering homeowners to maximize their wealth through the life-cycle of homeowner- ship. "Our mission at AIME is to empower our member community consisting of 40,000 independent mortgage brokers with unparal- leled benefits, technology, and tools they need to build and nurture strong relationships with consumers," said Anthony Casa, Chairman of AIME. "Homebot is one of an exclusive list of solution providers we've chosen to deliver on this mission, and we believe it will be a benefi- cial partnership for both organizations."

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