DSNews delivers stories, ideas, links, companies, people, events, and videos impacting the mortgage default servicing industry.
Issue link: http://digital.dsnews.com/i/1531277
MortgagePoint » Your Trusted Source for Mortgage Banking and Servicing News 2 January 2025 F R O M T H E E D I T O R David Wharton Editor-in-Chief Magazine EDITOR-IN-CHIEF David Wharton ART DIRECTOR Jason Stone MANAGING DIGITAL EDITOR Eric C. Peck REPORTERS Demetria C. Lester MAGAZINE CONTRIBUTORS Christina Hughes Babb, Thomas C. Dyer, Greg Holmes, Melissa Hentschel, Dax Junker, Andy Beth Miller, Den Shewman, Cade Thompson, Mike Yu COPY EDITOR Brandy Scott ADVERTISING 214.525.6700 EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD Daren Blomquist, VP of Market Economics, Auction.com Benjamin Gottheim, Director, Mortgage Servicing Policy, Freddie Mac Kevin Bowen, Head of Home Lending Product & Innovation, JPMorgan Chase & Co. Michael Keaton, SVP, Default Subservicing, Ocwen Jane Larkin, VP, Strategic Initiatives, VRM Mortgage Services Michael Merritt, SVP, Mortgage Default Servicing, BOK Financial Candace Russell, VP of Post-Sale Activities, Default Servicing, Carrington Mortgage Services, LLC Bryan Bolton, Chief Administrative Officer and SVP- Mortgage and Consumer Servicing, U.S. Bank Jacob Williamson, SVP Single-Family Collateral Risk Management, Fannie Mae Kim Yowell, EVP of Servicing, Fairway Independent Mortgage Servicing EXECUTIVE ADVISOR Michael S. Waldron CORPORATE OFFICERS PRESIDENT & CFO Jonathan Hughes ART DIRECTION Jordan Funderburk, Jason Stone No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. © 2025 Five Star Global, LLC. All Rights Reserved 1341 W. Mockingbird Rd, Ste 900W Dallas, TX 75247 This publication is intended to provide accurate, authoritative, and detailed information in regard to the subject matter covered. All written materials are disseminated with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal advice or other professional services. Under no circumstance should the information contained herein be relied upon as legal advice as it is designed to be a source of information only. MortgagePoint strongly encourages the use of qualified attorneys or other qualified experts with regard to the subject matter covered. MortgagePoint does not guarantee the accuracy of the information and is not liable for any damages, losses, or other detriment that may result from the use of these materials. NEW YEAR, NEW PRESIDENT, NEW MARKET? A s we return to the MortgagePoint offices in the early days of 2025, there are many unanswered questions about the year ahead. Will President Trump and his congressional majorities be able to implement his priorities, or will the Hill become mired in gridlock? What can we expect from the Fed and from inflation? How will new leadership at agencies such as HUD shift focus during President Trump's second term? What will all mean for Americans focused on pressing issues such as home affordability, the impact of natural disasters, and more? We don't have a crystal ball handy here at MortgagePoint, but we do have the next best thing. In our January cover story, we've surveyed a panel of economists and industry experts about where the housing market and mortgage industry will be headed in a new year and under a new incoming president. In the pages of our cover feature, you can read forecasts and insights from economists and industry experts representing Bright MLS, CoreLogic, LendingTree, MBA, and more. In the first of our contributed feature articles, "Mortgage Digitalization 2.0: Moving Beyond Integrations," Mike Yu, CEO at Vesta, walks us through aspects such as the importance of a modular architecture, the challenges of executing this strategy, and practical steps to becoming a tech-driven lender. Next up, check out "Meeting Renters Where They Are" by Melissa Hentschel, Chief Client Officer of Onbe. She discusses evolving tenant practices, the true cost of security deposit refunds, and opening the door to new possibilities. Dax Junker, CEO of Title Clearing & Escrow, LLC, takes on the topic of title fraud in our third feature, "Understanding the Surge in Title Fraud—And How to Prevent It." With scammers leaning into AI to orchestrate even more insidious attempts at fraud, it's never been more critical to be aware and proactive in this area. All of this and more awaits you inside the January 2025 edition of MortgagePoint.