Janice Sand

PLANO, Texas /New York Netwire - National News/ -- Optimal Blue today released its March 2026 Market Advantage mortgage data report, reflecting resilient mortgage activity as purchase demand strengthened despite higher rates. Total rate-lock volume rose 13% month over month (MoM) and 26% year over year (YoY). Purchase activity led the month, with purchase lock volume up 38% from February and 20% from March 2025. Cash-out refinance volume increased 9% MoM and 21% YoY, while rate-and-term refinance volume declined 34% from February but remained more than 66% higher YoY.

NEW YORK, N.Y. /New York Netwire - National News/ -- Veteran studio drummer and record producer Howard Farber is marking the 60th anniversary of the novelty smash "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" - a record on which Farber performed all drums, tambourines, and hand clapping, and for which he also coined the name Napoleon XIV.

NOVI, Mich. /New York Netwire - National News/ -- Vice Capital Markets, a leading mortgage hedge advisory firm for independent lenders, banks and credit unions, announced today that it now supports new 30-year fixed-rate specified-cash payup commitment grids from Fannie Mae, which became effective April 9, 2026.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. /New York Netwire - National News/ -- Ethical Advocate, a Chapel Hill-based provider of ethics and compliance reporting solutions, today announced the release of an updated version of its Ethical Advocate online web application, designed to meet the accessibility requirements of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The updated platform fully conforms to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA, the federal standard now required for all state and local government websites and mobile applications.

ADDISON, Texas /New York Netwire - National News/ -- Click n' Close, a multi-state mortgage lender, today announced the appointment of Delores Lopez as chief operating officer, effective April 6. In this role, Lopez will lead operations, drive scalable growth initiatives and implement operational strategy across the organization, reporting to Ian Kimball, president.

NOVI, Mich. /New York Netwire - National News/ -- Vice Capital Markets, a leading mortgage hedge advisory firm for independent lenders, banks and credit unions, announced today that two new Freddie Mac Cash-Specified Payup Types (CSPTs) for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages are now available through Vice Capital for both mandatory and best-efforts executions. The new payup types became effective in production on April 6, 2026.

BOULDER CITY, Nev. /New York Netwire - National News/ -- Joshua Fagerness of Rochester, Washington crossed the finish line first at Let It Ride 5, held March 27-29 at Boulder City, Nevada. USA EUC - the national sanctioning body for competitive electric unicycle racing - announced the results of the event, the third stop on the 2026 USA EUC National Championship Circuit, following King of the Motos and King of the Hammers.

BALTIMORE, Md. /New York Netwire - National News/ -- Hearing loss affects one in three adults over age 65 and is a leading cause of years lived with disability worldwide. In its latest Brain Bytes micro-cast, AgingIN, a national leader advancing innovation in eldercare, features neuroscientist Kelly Tremblay, PhD, who highlights growing evidence that reframes hearing loss as a critical, and often overlooked, brain health issue.

AUSTIN, Texas /New York Netwire - National News/ -- FirstClose™, a leading fintech provider of data and workflow solutions for mortgage and home equity lenders nationwide, announced today that Kitsap Credit Union has selected FirstClose to support its home equity lending operations with a bundled, end-to-end digital tool.

NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. /New York Netwire - National News/ -- Argyle, the leading provider of direct-source income, employment and asset verifications, today announced that its Director of Sales Thomas Rasmuson has been named a 2026 Rising Star by HousingWire. The annual HousingWire Rising Stars award recognizes standout professionals under 40 who are making a significant impact on the housing industry through leadership, innovation and measurable business results.

TROY, Mich. /New York Netwire - National News/ -- Class Valuation, a leading real estate appraisal management company (AMC), today announced that Amanda Standley, vice president of business development for Bluebird Valuation, a Class Valuation company, has been named a 2026 HousingWire Rising Star. The HousingWire Rising Stars award recognizes emerging leaders under 40 in mortgage and real estate who are leading change and making a meaningful impact on their organizations. This year, 75 young professionals were named to the list.

GUNTERSVILLE, Ala. /New York Netwire - National News/ -- Protective apparel manufacturer Kappler®, Inc. marks its 50th anniversary on April 1, with a twist of corporate irony around the company's April Fools' founding date in 1976. As millions of emergency responders and safety professionals can attest, Kappler's innovative chemical suits are no joking matter.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. /New York Netwire - National News/ -- Dark Matter Technologies (Dark Matter®), an innovative leader in mortgage technology, today announced Ask Aiva®, a conversational AI assistant natively embedded within the Empower® loan origination system (LOS) that allows lenders to query their origination environment in plain language, receive instant answers to see how those answers were derived.

SEATTLE, Wash. /New York Netwire - National News/ -- Friday Harbor today announced a new integration with the Calyx Path Platform that brings AI-powered pre-underwriting directly into the flow of the loan. Instead of waiting until underwriting to uncover issues, lenders can now review borrower documents, surface potential problems and resolve them earlier while maintaining consistent, reliable loan data throughout the lifecycle.

ATLANTA, Ga. /New York Netwire - National News/ -- This Financial Literacy Awareness Month, kids and families are invited to meet the Money Buddies, a lovable and irreverent cast of puppet characters on a mission to make learning about money fun, memorable, and easy to understand. Created and powered by Alliance Group, Money Buddies officially debuts the first two episodes of its seven-episode educational series on Wednesday, April 1, 2026.

TAMPA, Fla. /New York Netwire - National News/ -- What if the smallest act of kindness could change the world? That's the question at the heart of "My Ripple Effect," a bold new faith and family film from JC Films and Joshuacord - hitting screens this week and starring fan favorites Dean Cain, Kevin Sorbo, Eddie McClintock and Michael Sigler.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. /New York Netwire - National News/ -- As marketers navigate fluctuating digital costs and crowded online environments, new industry research shows direct mail standing out for its consistency, engagement, and ability to drive measurable action. Commissioned by Franklin Madison Direct and conducted by research firm Circlebox, the 2026 Direct Mail Marketing Benchmark Report analyzes national survey data from U.S. marketers and consumers to assess direct mail performance and its role within today's omnichannel strategies.

EDINBURGH, UK /New York Netwire - National News/ -- Today, we at FAXVIN are proud to mark 16 years in business. Since our founding on March 26, 2010, we have focused on one core mission: helping buyers, sellers, and automotive businesses make more informed decisions by giving them easier access to vehicle history information.

MILFORD, Mass. /New York Netwire - National News/ -- We're proud that Total Cal® Multichannel was recognized by TWICE as one of the standout innovations at CES 2026, Total Sonics announced today. Total Cal Multichannel brings professional-grade multichannel room calibration to everyday audio products - making immersive, accurate sound faster, simpler, and more affordable than ever.

SEATTLE, Wash. /New York Netwire - National News/ -- Friday Harbor, an AI-powered platform that helps loan officers assemble complete and compliant loan files in real time, today announced that Waterstone Mortgage has implemented its AI pre-underwriting platform to strengthen file quality and expand underwriting capacity across the lender's nationwide retail operation.