Many community banks have given up on national mortgage platforms as not worth the effort, but organizers of NXG Bank in Maryland say they have a plan to make one work.

Covius Holdings plans to buy several businesses from Chronos Solutions that support mortgage servicing and origination processes, including three delivery platforms that will increase the breadth of its technology offerings.

Mortgage company merger and acquisition activity should continue to increase in 2019 as loan production costs rise and originations stay flat.

Many banks have already scaled back home lending or even left the business. With profit margins shrinking, inventories of homes at crisis levels and competition from nonbanks intensifying, that’s unlikely to change.

After years of expansion as a public company, Ellie Mae went private and cut 10% of its workforce. But new ways to grow lie ahead, according to CEO Jonathan Corr.

Activist investor Blue Lion, which has been waging a campaign for changes at HomeStreet Bank, is pressing the Seattle-based company to consider selling its Fannie Mae multifamily mortgage operations.

Freedom Mortgage's acquisition of RoundPoint Mortgage Servicing gives it a major subservicer and will increase the Mount Laurel N.J.-based company's mortgage servicing rights portfolio by nearly 44%.

The parent of Ponce Bank has agreed to acquire Mortgage World Bankers.

Mortgage technology company Ellie Mae, which was recently bought by private equity investor Thoma Bravo, underwent restructuring and reduced its staff by 10%.

BB&T's acquisition of SunTrust may make the combined company more of a contender in regional metro-area commercial mortgage lending, according to data provider CrediFi.

The moves are part of a plan CEO Rajinder Singh discussed in a conversation with American Banker.

Democrats and Republicans on the House Financial Services Committee called for steps to minimize the harm to community banks and credit unions bracing for the new accounting standard.

Zillow's mortgage division experienced better customer demand in the first quarter than it expected, but its revenue was outweighed by expenses that led to a pretax loss of $9.6 million.

Movement Mortgage purchased the two branches that comprise Huntsville, Ala.-based Platinum Mortgage's retail business just weeks after the latter company sold its wholesale division.

Intercontinental Exchange's proposed acquisition of Simplifile will enhance its MERS unit's growing presence in handling electronic notes.

Title underwriters and other vendors reported year-over-year declines in business activity (although some reported improved profitability), but lower interest rates made them optimistic about their prospects going forward.

Quicken Loans parent company Rock Holdings is strengthening its investments in the Canadian market by acquiring a majority stake in Lendesk, a Vancouver-based mortgage fintech.

Blue Lion Capital, which has been critical of the Seattle company in recent years, has nominated two individuals to become directors.

Mortgage rates continued to decline through the spring home buying season, driving up the share of refinance loans and overall closing rates, according to Ellie Mae.

Gateway Mortgage Group’s dream of being a national, diversified financial services player will hinge on its effort to turn a community bank into an online-only platform.