President’s Message

Spring is officially around the corner, and so is the spring purchase market. Across Iowa, we are seeing encouraging signs that activity is heating up. Existing home inventory is approaching a 10-year high — a welcome shift from the constrained supply we have navigated over the past several years. More listings mean more opportunity for buyers to find the right fit, sellers to make their move, and our members to step in with trusted guidance and financing solutions.

With more homes on the market, buyers are reengaging. While recent economic headlines and global events can sometimes create hesitation, what we are seeing locally is resilience. Buyers may be more thoughtful and strategic, but they are still motivated by life events — job changes, growing families, downsizing and long-term financial goals. Stability in rates compared to the volatility of recent years is also helping restore confidence. It is being reported the average age of a homeowner has increased to age 40. What barriers do your borrowers face and how do we educate them to reverse this trend? Understanding the impact of building equity and wealth by showing the impact of buying versus renting must also be considered. As mortgage professionals, this is our moment to educate, advise and lead.

This evolving market underscores the importance of staying informed and connected — which brings me to our upcoming spring conference. Join us March 24–25 at the Hyatt Regency Coralville Hotel & Conference Center in Coralville for the IMA Spring Conference. This event is designed to equip you with timely industry insights, legislative updates, networking opportunities and practical strategies to help you succeed in today’s purchase-driven market.

There’s still time to register — and I encourage you to take it one step further. Recruit a new member and invite them to attend with you. Our association grows stronger with each new voice, perspective and professional who joins our community. Bringing a colleague not only expands their network — it strengthens our industry across the state. Click here for registration and event information.

Let us capitalize on the momentum of this spring market and continue building relationships that move Iowa forward.

I look forward to seeing you in Coralville.

Association Updates

The popular IMA Mortgage Bootcamp is returning April 15. Designed for those who work in the mortgage industry, this seminar will walk you through the mortgage loan cycle and everything you need to be a stronger mortgage loan officer. This intensive session provides opportunities to learn from seasoned experts and gain advanced knowledge of each step in the mortgage process, including:



• Taking a great application
• Processing
• Underwriting
• Secondary market
• Compliance
• Private mortgage insurance (PMI)

This full-day seminar is a great event for new loan originators. A past seminar attendee said, “This was a great seminar, especially for someone with less than a year in the field. I found so many useful pieces of information to restructure how I approach a loan and handle my daily tasks to be more successful in this job.” Details and registration.

The IMA is sharing a free Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO) webinar to members on March 31 covering the new Mortgage Direct License Program. The program introduces flexible pricing models that could reduce per-score fees by up to 50% while giving lenders greater control in their lending operations. It also allows resellers to calculate and distribute FICO Scores directly to lenders, eliminating reliance on the credit bureaus.

Learn how the program works, the pricing models available, the current status of reseller implementation, and how lender choice of credit scores could impact originations and the secondary market. Register here.

Industry News

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) finalized the repeal of its 2024 rule governing fair lending, fair housing, and Equitable Housing Finance Plans for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Home Loan Banks, effective March 9, 2026. The repeal removes additional oversight and reporting requirements introduced under the 2024 rule, which the FHFA determined risked creating duplicative statements of FHFA’s authority and were not legally necessary. The FHFA stated in its repeal that the programmatic structure of existing statutory affordable housing goals and Duty to Serve programs provide “a durable and enforceable framework for advancing access to the housing finance system.” Read the full withdrawal statement.