FICO tri-merge price jumped 1,500% in four years

🌷Hello again. It’s Good Friday. Today’s issue is a quick read, 594 words, 2 minutes.

1. Rocket moves to dismiss RESPA steering lawsuit

Rocket Companies is seeking dismissal of a class-action lawsuit alleging that Rocket Homes steered homebuyers toward agents who paid referral fees, and that those agents in turn pushed borrowers toward Rocket Mortgage even when better loan terms were available elsewhere.

Rocket argues the arrangements fall under RESPA's cooperative brokerage safe harbor, that plaintiffs failed to show actual injury, and that key claims are outside the one-year statute of limitations.

The suit is being brought by Hagens Berman, the same firm behind similar litigation against Zillow and NAR. Rocket called it an "empty lawsuit" designed to extract settlements. Hagens Berman says it anticipated the motion and has strong responses ready.

2. PartnerOne closes acquisition of Mortgage Cadence

PartnerOne has completed its purchase of Mortgage Cadence, the cloud-based LOS that competes with Encompass, Empower, and others in a crowded market. Terms weren't disclosed.

PartnerOne's model is to buy and hold software companies long-term rather than flip them, and it's signaling stability for existing Mortgage Cadence customers while promising investment in AI and workflow automation.

For lenders on the platform, the key questions now are around product roadmap, pricing, and how aggressively the new owner invests in development — areas where some smaller LOS vendors have been falling behind.

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3. More Nuggets

⬇️ Mortgage rates move lower after reaching August highs. (CNBC)

💰 FICO tri-merge price jumped 1,500% in four years. (CHLA)

📈 Google searches for ‘can’t sell house’ hit an alarming high. (Inman)

📰 Frost Bank is betting on 0% down mortgages in Texas. (WFAA)

⏯️ Inside UWM’s bid to acquire Two Harbors. (HousingWire)

📊 CFPB floats plan to cut staff in half. (BankingDive)

4. Mortgage firm Lower debuts 'limited-access' referral program

Lower has rolled out Movoto Advantage, a limited-access, subscription-based program that connects high-performing solo real estate agents with motivated home buyers and sellers through real-time live transfers

About 200 agents have enrolled since the late 2025 pilot, with participation doubling since launch. The launch comes roughly a year after Lower acquired Movoto from OJO Labs.

Agents are screened by transaction volume, responsiveness, and closing history. The program ties into Lower's lending platform so consumers can get fast preapprovals and agent-lender coordination through closing.

5. FirstSun and First Foundation complete merger

The two banks have closed their deal, combining FirstSun's national mortgage platform — active in 40+ states — with First Foundation's high-net-worth client base and wealth management business. The result is a roughly $17 billion institution with deeper reach in California and other high-value markets.

The strategic focus is jumbo and relationship-based lending, where banks can use deposits and existing client ties to compete on pricing rather than rate alone. Neal Arnold remains CEO, with former First Foundation CEO Tom Shafer moving to vice chairman.

For independent loan officers, it's another sign that well-capitalized banks are competing harder in higher-margin mortgage segments by bundling lending into broader financial relationships.

☀️ You’re all caught up. See you on Monday!

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