Business
Optimal Blue report: Purchase demand holds firm as April lock activity cools
PLANO, Texas, May 12, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Optimal Blue today released its April 2026 Market Advantage mortgage data report, which found that mortgage lock activity pulled back after a strong first quarter. Total rate-lock volume declined 9% month over month (MoM) but remained 11% higher year over year (YoY). Purchase lock volume declined just under 2% from March but increased more than 9% from April 2025, continuing to lead production as refinance activity cooled. Rate-and-term refinance volume fell nearly 38% MoM but remained more than 22% higher YoY, while cash-out refinance volume declined 12% MoM but was up 11% YoY. Refinance share slipped to 23% of total volume, down from March but still above year-ago levels.
Image caption: Image caption: Optimal Blue’s April 2026 Market Advantage mortgage data report.
Mortgage rates remained elevated throughout April but finished slightly lower by month-end. The Optimal Blue Mortgage Market Indices (OBMMI) 30-year conforming fixed rate, the benchmark for CME Group’s Mortgage Rate futures, ended the month at 6.31%, down 4 basis points (bps) MoM. The 10-year Treasury yield finished April at 4.40%, up 10 bps MoM, while the spread between the 10-year Treasury and the 30-year mortgage rate narrowed to 191 bps as mortgages outperformed.
“April looks more like a cooling from a strong first quarter than a real weakening in borrower demand,” said Mike Vough, senior vice president of corporate strategy at Optimal Blue. “Purchase activity held up well despite rate pressure, while refinance volume reacted more quickly to recent rate moves. That split reinforces how rate-sensitive borrowers remain, even as the spring purchase market continues to show resilience.”
On the secondary side, April data pointed to renewed movement toward agency mortgage-backed securities (MBS) execution. Agency MBS sales increased while bulk loan sales declined, and mortgage servicing rights (MSR) values rose as higher rates reduced expected refinance activity. Investor participation also increased after holding steady for three consecutive months.
“In a higher-rate environment, lenders are paying close attention to where execution value is showing up,” said Vough. “The move toward agency MBS execution, combined with higher MSR values and increased investor participation, continues to prove that lenders need to evaluate all potential execution options to maximize profitability.”
Key findings from the Market Advantage report, derived from direct-source mortgage lock and secondary market data, include:
Volume trends and market composition
- Refi activity cools: Rate-and-term refinance volume fell nearly 38% MoM but remained more than 22% higher YoY, while cash-out refinance volume declined 12% MoM but rose 11% YoY. Refinance share slipped to 23% of total volume.
- Purchase activity holds steady: Purchase lock volume declined just under 2% MoM but increased more than 9% YoY, continuing to lead overall production.
- Conforming share drops below 50%: Conforming share fell just below 50% of total lock volume in April for the first time since Optimal Blue began tracking this metric. FHA share rose to 19%, VA increased to 13%, non-conforming declined to 17% and USDA held steady at 1%.
- Non-QM share remains elevated: Non-qualified mortgages accounted for 9% of total lock volume in April, up 30 bps MoM and 233 bps YoY, with investor and bank-statement products leading expanded-guideline activity.
- ARM levels remain elevated: Adjustable-rate mortgages accounted for 10% of total production, down 182 bps MoM but broadly in line with year-ago levels and well above pre-2022 norms.
- Property mix shifts: Single-family homes represented 64% of production, while planned unit developments, a proxy for new construction activity, declined to 28%, down 42 bps MoM and 326 bps YoY. Condo share also declined to 6%.
Rates and pricing
- Mortgage rates outperform Treasuries: The OBMMI 30-year conforming fixed rate finished at 6.31%, down 4 bps MoM. Jumbo rates ended at 6.43%, VA rates at 5.90% and FHA rates at 6.06%. The 10-year Treasury increased 10 bps to 4.40%, while the mortgage-to-Treasury spread narrowed to 191 bps.
- MSR values climb: MSRs rose 5 bps to 1.29%, representing a 5.16 multiple, moving in line with higher rates and lower refinance expectations.
- Conventional spreads widen: Best-efforts-to-mandatory spreads increased 4 bps for conventional 30- and 15-year products, while government 30-year spreads decreased 3 bps.
- Lower-tier sales increase: Loans sold to the fourth or lower price tier increased 89 bps to 5%, while third-tier share increased 21 bps.
Channel and execution
- Agency MBS share increases: Hedged loan sales to agency MBS rose 354 bps to 44%, marking a shift toward securitization executions.
- Bulk executions decline: Bulk loan sales decreased 257 bps to 25%.
- Investor count rises: Investor participation increased to 15 in April after holding at 14 for the prior three months.
Product mix and borrower profiles
- First-time buyers maintain purchase presence: First-time homebuyer share remained nearly flat in April but continued to represent a meaningful share of purchase activity, accounting for 47% of conforming purchase locks, 70% of FHA purchase locks and 45% of VA purchase locks.
- DTI ratios remain stable: Purchase debt-to-income ratios improved YoY, with conforming at 36.2%, FHA at 43.5% and VA at 42.7%.
- Credit quality holds firm: The average purchase credit score held at 735, unchanged from March. By product, conforming borrowers averaged 753, FHA borrowers averaged 676 and VA borrowers averaged 716.
- Pull-through rates improve: Purchase pull-through rose to just over 82%, up 208 bps MoM but down 58 bps YoY. Refinance pull-through increased to just under 79%, up 356 bps MoM and 1,381 bps YoY.
- Loan amounts decline: The average loan amount was $394,046, down from $401,100 in March and $404,586 in February. The average loan-to-value ratio (LTV) was 81.64%. Loan amounts ranged from $888,871 in greater San Francisco to $302,493 in Cincinnati, while regional LTVs ranged from 71.23% in the Bay Area to 89.05% in San Antonio.
To view the full April 2026 Market Advantage report, complete the free subscription form: https://engage.optimalblue.com/market-advantage.
Subscribers receive a report PDF each month with the latest data. Members of the press are eligible for special, advance access each month and should contact Alexandra Kreuter to be added to the media list.
About the Market Advantage Report
Optimal Blue issues the Market Advantage mortgage report each month to provide insight into U.S. mortgage trends and drivers of lending profitability. Data is sourced from the Optimal Blue PPE, which is used to price and lock more than one-third of all mortgages nationwide, and Optimal Blue’s hedging and loan trading system, which supports approximately 40% of loans hedged and sold into the secondary market. As the leader in mortgage capital markets technology, Optimal Blue has a direct view of both origination and secondary market activity and the interconnectedness of the two. Unlike self-reported survey data, Optimal Blue’s direct-source data accurately reflect the in-process loans in lenders’ pipelines and secondary market executions. Visit Optimal Blue’s website to subscribe to receive the free report each month.
Nothing herein shall be construed as, nor is Optimal Blue providing, any legal, trading, hedging or financial advice.
About Optimal Blue
Optimal Blue powers profitability across the mortgage capital markets ecosystem. As the industry’s only end-to-end capital markets platform, our technology, data and integrations bridge the primary and secondary markets to help lenders of all sizes maximize performance – from pricing accuracy to margin protection and every step in between. Backed by over 20 years of proven expertise, our modern, cloud-native technology delivers the real-time automation, actionable data and seamless connectivity lenders need to navigate market volatility and scale for growth. To learn more about how Optimal Blue delivers measurable ROI, visit OptimalBlue.com.
MULTIMEDIA
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Image caption: Optimal Blue’s April 2026 Market Advantage mortgage data report
News Source: Optimal Blue
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This press release was issued by Send2Press® Newswire on behalf of the news source, who is solely responsible for its accuracy. www.send2press.com.
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Karen MacNeil to Keynote 2026 UC Davis / Harvard ‘Vine to Mind’ Symposium, Joined by Christine Wente and Michael Mondavi
ST. HELENA, Calif., May 13, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Karen MacNeil, wine authority, author of “The Wine Bible,” and co-founder of COME TOGETHER A Community for Wine, will deliver the opening keynote at the 2026 Vine to Mind Symposium, a joint initiative of the University of California, Davis and Harvard University, taking place May 19–20 on the UC Davis campus.
Photo caption: Karen MacNeil, author of “The Wine Bible,” and co-founder of COME TOGETHER A Community for Wine.
MacNeil will be joined by Christine Wente and Michael Mondavi, two figures whose family names have shaped the American wine story for generations. Together, the three will speak to the cultural standing of California wine today, and to the work of sustaining wine’s place in American life for the next generation.
That work is the animating purpose behind Come Together A Community for Wine, which MacNeil co-founded in 2024 with Kimberly Noelle Charles, DipWSET, of Charles Communications Associates and Gino Colangelo of Colangelo & Partners. In response to mounting headwinds facing the global wine industry, Come Together has built two of the largest pro-wine consumer campaigns in the United States: Share & Pair Sundays, now in its second year and running May 3 through June 28, and Come Over October, returning for the third year this fall.
“Wine is at a critical juncture in American culture, and we must rise to meet the challenges,” said MacNeil. “The Vine to Mind Symposium gives us—scientists and industry leaders alike–an opportunity to come together to explore a modern and practical approach to wine over the coming decades. Coming together on behalf of wine’s future underscores wine’s historic role as the beverage that has brought people together for 8000 years.”
The Vine to Mind Symposium convenes data scientists, scholars, and industry leaders to examine how data-driven insight and AI can advance viticulture, enology, and wine communications. Additional speakers include Orley Ashenfelter, Eric Asimov, Jing Cao, Felicity Carter, Joe Czerwinski, Xiao-Li Meng, Madeline Puckette, Liz Thach, Jason Wise, and Ben Montpetit. Sessions will be held at the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science, with a post-symposium visit to Napa Valley on May 21.
ABOUT THE VINE TO MIND SYMPOSIUM
The 2026 Vine to Mind Symposium is organized by the Harvard Data Science Initiative in partnership with the Agricultural and Resource Economics department and the Viticulture and Enology department at the University of California, Davis. The symposium brings together wine industry leaders and academics to explore the intersection of wine, wine communications, data science, and artificial intelligence, and how data-driven insights and AI can advance viticulture, enology, and the broader wine ecosystem. This year’s gathering also marks the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Judgment of Paris, widely considered the blind tasting that forever changed the cultural landscape for the California wine industry. The 2026 symposium will be held on the UC Davis campus May 19–20, 2026, with a post-symposium visit to Napa Valley on May 21. For topics, speakers, and past highlights, visit: https://www.vinetomind.org/.
About COME TOGETHER A Community for Wine
COME TOGETHER A Community for Wine is a dynamic community for wine enthusiasts dedicated to fostering connections, education, and appreciation within the wine world. Through innovative campaigns and community-driven initiatives, the organization brings together industry professionals, passionate consumers, and wine lovers of all backgrounds to celebrate wine’s unique ability to create meaningful human connections. Founded by noted wine writer and author Karen MacNeil, along with leading wine industry marketers Gino Colangelo of Colangelo & Partners and Kimberly Noelle Charles, DipWSET of Charles Communications Associates, the mission-driven company shares the story of wine’s historic and contemporary role as a beverage that uniquely brings people together. Learn more: https://www.cometogetherforwine.com/.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Kimberly Noelle Charles, DipWSET kcharles@charlescomm.com 415-701-WINE (9463)
Regan Carlin rcarlin@colangelopr.com 978-460-3921
News Source: COME TOGETHER – A Community for Wine Inc.
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This press release was issued by Send2Press® Newswire on behalf of the news source, who is solely responsible for its accuracy. www.send2press.com.
Business
Watkins Insurance Group Expands Private Client Practice with Addition of Industry Veteran Patrick McFadden
AUSTIN, Texas, May 13, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Watkins Insurance Group, a leading independent insurance agency in Texas, has announced the addition of Patrick McFadden as a Private Client Insurance Advisor. McFadden brings 30 years of insurance experience and holds the LUTC and FSCP professional designations. His hire reflects the agency’s continued commitment to serving the Austin metro market and specifically the growing segment of individuals and families whose lifestyles and assets require a more tailored approach to coverage strategy and personal service.
Image caption: Watkins Insurance Group.
“We are thrilled to welcome Patrick to our team,” said Chris Scott, President of Watkins Insurance Group. “This addition reflects our ongoing commitment to serving the full breadth of insurance needs across the Austin community including clients with complex portfolios who benefit from the kind of personalized, consultative approach Patrick brings. He is exactly the caliber of advisor we look for when expanding our team.”
McFadden’s career spans nearly every facet of the insurance industry. He began as a Claims Representative, a foundation that shaped his understanding of how coverage performs when it matters most. Over the following three decades, he went on to serve as an Agency Owner, Private Client Advisor, Sales and Operations Manager, Regional Manager for a national carrier, and Risk Management Consultant. That breadth of experience gives him a perspective on risk that few advisors can match.
“Given our track record of success serving high-net-worth clients in Austin, expanding our private client practice was a natural next step,” said Hanna Ogle, Executive Vice President of Personal Lines. “Patrick’s background managing complex insurance portfolios for individuals with significant assets makes him an outstanding fit for our clients, and his addition allows us to serve this segment at an even higher level. Clients with complex personal risk profiles deserve an advisor who understands that from day one.”
In his new role, McFadden will focus on building and managing comprehensive risk portfolios for individuals and families with complex personal risk profiles, including high-value homes, vehicles, and personal assets. He takes a proactive, consultative approach designing custom risk management plans around each client’s lifestyle, assets, and long-term goals, then actively monitoring those plans as circumstances change.
About Watkins Insurance Group
Watkins Insurance Group is a Top 100 Property & Casualty agency as ranked by Insurance Journal and the largest privately-owned independent insurance agency in Central Texas. Founded in 1949 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, the agency delivers tailored insurance, employee benefits, and surety bond solutions for businesses and individuals across the country. Watkins operates through multiple locations, supported by a veteran leadership team and a network of globally connected resources through its membership in Assurex Global, the world’s largest association of privately held insurance brokers. For more information, visit https://watkinsinsurancegroup.com/
MEDIA CONTACT:
Dshanya Reese, CIC
Brand Marketing Manager
Dreese@WatkinsInsuranceGroup.com
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News Source: Watkins Insurance Group
To view the original post, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/watkins-insurance-group-expands-private-client-practice-with-addition-of-industry-veteran-patrick-mcfadden/.
This press release was issued by Send2Press® Newswire on behalf of the news source, who is solely responsible for its accuracy. www.send2press.com.
Business
Web Scribble Launches Career Center Technology for Colleges and Universities
BOCA RATON, Fla., May 13, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Web Scribble, a leading provider of career center technology for associations and mission-driven organizations, today announced the launch of Career Center technology for colleges and universities. The new offering helps institutions connect students earlier to employers, mentors, alumni, professional communities, career fairs, and long-term career pathways in one student-centered experience.
Image caption: Web Scribble Launches Career Center Technology for Colleges and Universities.
Web Scribble has spent more than two decades building career engagement infrastructure for professional associations, serving more than 400 associations and helping millions of job seekers connect with employers and professional communities. The company is now extending that experience into higher education, where institutions are placing greater emphasis on career readiness, employer relationships, alumni engagement, and measurable student outcomes.
“Students and families are asking harder questions about where education leads, and institutions are expected to answer with more clarity,” said Alexey Gutin, Co-Founder and CEO of Web Scribble. “Web Scribble is bringing employer relationships, career pathways, and professional associations into higher education so institutions can create a stronger connection between education, opportunity, and long-term success.”
CONNECTING STUDENTS TO WHAT COMES NEXT
Career services teams are being asked to connect more parts of the student career journey, from exploration and employer engagement to mentoring, career fairs, alumni participation, and outcomes visibility. Web Scribble’s Career Center technology is designed to bring these functions together in one platform, giving campus teams better visibility into career engagement and giving students a clearer path from education to opportunity.
THE PLATFORM INCLUDES:
- Branded career center experiences
- Employer networks and partnership tools
- Virtual and in-person career fair management
- Mentoring programs connecting students with professionals and alumni
- Alumni career engagement
- Career guides, career paths, interview preparation, offer support, and application assistance
- Career engagement signals and activity visibility for campus teams
ABOUT THE LAUNCH
Web Scribble will introduce the higher education Career Center offering through several higher education events and conversations, including a booth presence at the NACE conference. Institutions can book time with the Web Scribble team at NACE here:
Web Scribble will also present at SUNY CUAD and Florida ACE, continuing conversations with higher education leaders focused on career readiness, alumni engagement, employer relationships, and student outcomes.
Web Scribble’s Career Center technology for higher education is available now. Institutions interested in learning more can visit here.
ABOUT WEB SCRIBBLE
Web Scribble is a leading provider of career center technology for associations and higher education. For more than 20 years, Web Scribble has helped organizations connect people to opportunity through career centers, job boards, career fairs, mentoring, employer engagement, career pathways, and related career tools. Web Scribble serves more than 400 associations and has helped millions of job seekers connect with employers and professional communities. The company helps organizations strengthen career engagement, create new employer-supported revenue opportunities, and deliver measurable value to the communities they serve. Learn more at https://www.webscribble.com/.
News Source: Web Scribble Solutions, Inc.
To view the original post, visit: https://www.send2press.com/wire/web-scribble-launches-career-center-technology-for-colleges-and-universities/.
This press release was issued by Send2Press® Newswire on behalf of the news source, who is solely responsible for its accuracy. www.send2press.com.
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