Professional development

The Federal Reserve will not raise rates in June, while mortgage rates could fall this year as the dollar gets stronger and oil prices remain low, mortgage industry consultant Barry Habib said at a mortgage conference.

The recent delay of new HECM rules is a reprieve for lenders scrambling to implement training and systems updates ahead of the original deadline. But it's also prompted questions about a key technology used by the reverse mortgage industry.

Having the extra time for implementation has been helpful because mortgage companies were experiencing difficulties meeting the first deadline for the change in procedure, which affects government-insured reverse mortgages.

Many sales people use a subpar demonstration, so having one that is sharp looking can make you stand out in the marketplace.

The heightened regulatory environment for servicers has also prompted a wave of process improvements.

Mortgage sales people need to make an honest assessment of why a loan application failed to close.

When it comes to the most important part of sales, how do the people who represent you show up and serve your clients?

With less than three weeks to go before new financial assessments for reverse mortgages became mandatory, the Federal Housing Administration announced Thursday that it will delay their effective date due to technical issues.

The level of success we achieve in life has much more to do with our tenacity than our talent.

In yet another revision of its mortgage rules, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau proposed making it easier for small and rural lenders to make "qualified mortgages." Industry representatives said the changes are poised to make a big difference.

Before the Dodd Frank Act went into effect in 2010, the residential mortgage market was in an entirely different state — particularly in regards to servicing. Several large servicers dominated the market, but ultimately shed most of their servicing assets, creating a substantially large segment of midsize servicers.

The Fix-It Award recognizes technology that provides an effective and permanent solution to a specific industry problem, need or channel. Learn about this year's finalists and see who won the 2014 MT Award.

Take one day to commit to finishing each and every item on your to do list, instead of just rolling things over to the next day.

As banks look to cuts costs and improve efficiency, many are actively trying to reduce the number of times they "touch" a loan file. The goal: get the application right the first time so it doesn't have to be sent back to the underwriter for time-consuming and costly fixes.

Paying attention to detail is important in the mortgage industry but being a control freak could damage your productivity.

Having a specialty or a niche helps to keep your business away from being at the mercy of interest rate shoppers.

The ongoing push for more robust loan data will continue in 2015, as market participants across the mortgage lifecycle adopt new regulatory requirements and take advantage of recent developments in paperless processing and self-service capabilities.

Here are some easy ways to introduce your loan origination group to your clients.

Aaron Seltzer, an attorney from the eastern shore of Maryland, pled guilty earlier this week to wire fraud connected to a real estate investment scheme.

Appraisers are often the only party involved in a real estate transaction that has no "skin in the game," unlike mortgage originators and real estate agents.