Digital mortgages

The private equity acquisition of the fintech vendor Ellie Mae will give it some breathing room in a declining originations market because it will have a more patient and strategic investor than its myriad shareholders as a public company.

The mortgage loan origination system developer Ellie Mae is going private, agreeing to be acquired by the private equity firm Thoma Bravo in an all-cash transaction valued at $3.7 billion.

SunTrust’s merger with BB&T is the largest bank deal since the financial crisis, and mortgages will play a critical role in the execution of this transaction.

Community banks generally make digital a consumer play, but TransPecos Bank, with its BankMD brand, is focusing on doctor practices, which tend to weather economic downturns well.

As suspense builds over which firm will be the first to seek the special-purpose charter, a side discussion has emerged over which financial services sector has the most to gain — or lose — from the new option.

Timothy Mayopoulos is back in the mortgage industry, becoming the new president of the digital mortgage technology developer Blend, months after leaving his post as Fannie Mae’s CEO.

Banks need to stake out a presence on platforms that have nothing to do with banking.

The alternative is waiting for state and federal regulators to take steps that could disrupt the flow of capital and put some firms out of business.

Zions' Harris Simmons named Banker of the Year; distilling the hopes and hang-ups around CRA reform; new grist in still ongoing debate over Operation Choke Point; and more from this week's most-read stories.

Minorities are still charged more for mortgages when all other applicable credit factors are equal — both in person and online, according to a new study by the University of California, Berkeley.