Reverse mortgage brokers have the choice of sending borrowers’ loan applications to any number of lenders with a wholesale division. While having multiple options gives brokers more opportunities to partner with the best lender for them, navigating all of these possibilities can be challenging.
Acknowledging a need to alleviate certain stressors associated with this process and enhance communication between lenders and brokers, Reverse Focus is launching a first-of-its-kind pricing tool to help reverse mortgage professionals streamline efficiencies and ultimately, bring one facet of the industry into the 21st century.
As brokers look for the best place to send their loans, there are several factors guiding their decisions. For one, they might consider their relationship with a company’s wholesale account executive. They might also weigh the quality of service based on their previous experiences with a lender.
“But perhaps most importantly, brokers are going to be looking at what kind of pricing they will be offered,” says Eric Hiatt, CEO of Reverse Focus.
The company’s newest resource for reverse mortgage professionals, HECMpricing.com, aims to bridge the pathway between brokers and wholesale lenders.
If a broker is approved with several different lenders, they are burdened with the task of knitting together various rate sheet pricings from each of these companies to determine which lender has the most competitive offer. By using the HECMpricing.com system, reverse mortgage loan brokers can view what pricing options are available to them from wholesale lenders participating within the platform.
“This is something that we believe can help reverse mortgage industry lenders and brokers grow, as well as create an even playing field for everybody when it comes to looking at pricing,” Hiatt tells RMD.
Operating in a similar fashion to established technology already used in the traditional, forward mortgage industry, HECMpricing.com asks users to input various information related to a loan application, including the youngest borrower’s age, home value, zip code, as well as existing liens and home purchase price in the event the loan application is for a refinance or HECM for Purchase. Brokers are then presented with pricing from various lenders based on their specific loan parameters.
The web-based HECMpricing.com is mobile-friendly and is compatible with Mac, PC, iPhone, Android devices.
“HECMpricing.com is part of Reverse Focus’ continued commitment to the reverse mortgage industry, specifically in helping originators be more productive,” Hiatt said. “By developing software based on our experiences on the origination and production side, we have a real advantage to produce a platform that will significantly increase productivity.”
At the end of 2015, Hiatt stepped down from his position as managing partner at Synergy One Lending to dedicate his full efforts solely toward Reverse Focus, a company he co-founded in 2006 to provide reverse mortgage loan originators with the tools and resources they need to be successful.
Reverse Focus is currently working with several of the industry’s major wholesale lenders who are in the process of inputting their pricing into the new tool. Although the company is not able to disclose these participants at this time, Hiatt said Reverse Focus is in discussion with four Ginnie Mae issuers and non-Ginnie issuers, all of whom participate in the wholesale HECM marketplace.
Pending the finalization of these participation agreements, Reverse Focus anticipates HECMpricing.com will launch in May.
The service is free for reverse mortgage brokers. Reverse Focus verifies each user seeking to use HECMpricing.com to ensure they are certified loan originators licensed with the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System.
Written by Jason Oliva
