Growth strategies

First Foundation sold loans to Freddie Mac to free up space for higher-yielding credits. It then bought the securities that were formed to replace other, lower-yielding assets through an often overlooked program.

Bemortgage, currently a division of Chicago's Bridgeview Bank formed last November by a former Guaranteed Rate executive, will become a part of CrossCountry Mortgage.

Level One Bank in Farmington, Mich., has hired a team of mortgage bankers from MB Financial, which previously announced it was shutting down this business line.

The deal is designed to improve capital ratios and reduce risk at the Seattle company.

Ruoff Financial will make its first push into banking with the purchase of SBB Bancshares.

Remax Holdings is focused on "what it does best" with its Motto Mortgage business and in facing off against Zillow's new home buying and selling initiative, a company executive said.

Costs rose at the global bank, profit in North America fell 16% and questions are mounting for new CEO John Flint ahead of the release of his strategic plan.

The Chicago company said its decision was largely based on intense competition, very low margins and economic changes.

A "three-pronged" internship and management program at HUD Federal Credit Union is helping professionals across all stages of their careers, and the initiative has garnered notice from HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson.

Despite past missteps in the U.S. mortgage business, the bank is giving it another go, bringing servicing in-house and catering to millennials and international clients here, says HSBC’s Raman Muralidharan.

The bank will spend an additional $1.4 billion on technology in 2018 to gain share and boost efficiency, executives said Tuesday. But they were peppered with questions about whether the big investment will yield a big financial return down the road.

Darryl White sees an opportunity for Bank of Montreal to take more market share in the United States, and he’s betting on investments in mortgage lending, commercial banking and capital markets to get there.

The New York multifamily lender is making steady progress in a multiyear effort to reduce its dependency on commercial real estate.

The Arkansas company has spent two years trying to reassure nervous investors and analysts that it can rapidly book real estate loans using conservative practices.

Blue Lion Capital, which had a recent request for a board seat rejected, plans to nominate multiple people to run for the board at HomeStreet's next annual meeting.

Jeanne D'Arc Credit Union has begun thanking home buyers for their business by throwing housewarming parties for them once the process is complete.

Technology-focused mortgage lender loanDepot has created another joint venture with a homebuilder, this time with AV Homes.

PrimeLending is entering into an affiliated business arrangement with Dallas homebuilder Grand Homes that is expected to start producing loans in February.

The company will pay $186 million for First Bank Lubbock in a deal that also includes mortgage unit PrimeWest Mortgage.

When data doesn't tell the whole story about untapped market opportunities, mortgage executives must draw on their personal experiences and local expertise to craft unique strategies to reach new borrowers.