How midsize lenders are surviving the mortgage squeeze
By: Flávia Furlan Nunes | Published: 2025-06-13 18:17:00 | Source: www.housingwire.com
“When we started Kind Lending, we had margins of 450 basis points, which went to 40 in April 2020,” Stearns said. “We got started in a very hostile environment, so we had to be efficient from the start of our company. We didn’t have the same ability to lean on servicing that everybody had from the last cycle. So we started off with a completely different mindset.”
Stearns said the company’s disciplined cost structure has led to consistent profitability — without considering sales of mortgage servicing rights (MSRs) — which sets it apart from many independent mortgage banks (IMBs) that continue to operate in the red.
He’s not wrong. Inside Mortgage Finance (IMF) reported that Kind Lending originated $7.5 billion in mortgages in 2024, placing it among the…
