Absolute Home Mortgage acquires Northeast lender's team

Absolute Home Mortgage has acquired assets from Fidelity Direct Mortgage in a partnership announced Tuesday.

Absolute, a nationwide mortgage lender based in New Jersey, added Fidelity's team of 55 producing loan officers to its team of roughly 190, a Fidelity spokesperson told National Mortgage News.

"This is an important step forward for both of our organizations," said Maria D'Souza-Datta, founder and president of Fidelity, in a press release. "It positions our teams for sustained success in an evolving market and ensures that the platform we operate within is built for long-term strength. The collaborative structure we've created provides a solid foundation for the future." 

D'Souza-Datta will also join Absolute as an executive operations manager and a member of its board, a Fidelity spokesperson said.

"Maria's leadership and perspective have already played an important role in shaping our shared strategic vision," Absolute CEO Matt VanFossen said in the release.

Fidelity is headquartered in Gaithersberg, Maryland, and operates across the Northeast. The partnership is expected to grow product availability, improve operation efficiencies and increase competitiveness for loan originators and consumers, the release said.

"This strategic alignment allows us to maintain the entrepreneurial culture our team values while gaining access to the expanded infrastructure and national footprint needed in today's market," D'Souza-Datta said. 

The partnership is the latest in a streak of acquisitions in the mortgage industry. Private investment firm Rice Park Capital Management acquired a retail and consumer-direct lender, Rosegate Mortgage, in mid-November, following a week in which two other deals were struck.

This mortgage M&A trend is expected to keep pace in 2026, as even profitable lenders consider selling.