NewRez to acquire Caliber in $1.7B deal Deal strengthens NewRez's retail footprint, bulks up its servicing biz

Didier Malagies • April 15, 2021

NeAcquisitions-hungry New Residential Investment Corp. (NewRez) has agreed to acquire multichannel lender Caliber Home Loans in a deal valued at $1.675 billion, the firms announced on Wednesday.


The agreement with NewRez, a publicly traded mortgage REIT, comes roughly six months after Lone Star Funds attempted to take Caliber public. Since the independent public offering fell apart, sources have told HousingWire that private equity owner Lone Star has been shopping for a buyer for Caliber.


News of late-stage talks between NewRez and Caliber were first reported by HousingWire in the LendingLife newsletter.


In a statement on Wednesday, NewRez said the transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2021.


With the acquisition, NewRez is acquiring a heavy-hitter across multiple origination channels. Caliber originated $80 billion in mortgages in 2020. It also has a $153 billion servicing portfolio with roughly 630,000 customers as of Dec. 31, 2020. Caliber made $891 million in pre-tax income in 2020, with a return on equity of 53%.


The firm, led by former Citi Mortgage CEO Sanjiv Das, is best known for its distributed retail footprint. It also does a fair amount of business in correspondent and wholesale channels.


“We believe this is a terrific acquisition for our Company,” said Michael Nierenberg, head of New Residential. “Over the years, Caliber’s experienced team has built a differentiated purchase-focused originator with an impressive retail franchise and solid track record in customer retention. The combination of NewRez and Caliber’s platforms will create a premier financial services company with scale, talent, technologies and products to accelerate our mortgage company objectives and generate strong earnings for our shareholders. With this acquisition, we have significantly strengthened our capabilities to perform across interest rate environments.”

NewRez said the deal would allow the firm to grow and strengthen its earnings profile across different rate environments. It will also add Caliber’s customer-retention capabilities (it had a 54% recapture rate last year), a network of talented underwriters and back-office staff, plus a large servicing book.


The Caliber deal represents yet another big acquisition for Nierenberg’s real estate investment trust. In 2019, NewRez acquired Ditech‘s forward origination and servicing business for $1.2 billion. The company also acquired Shellpoint Partners (the parent of New Penn Financial) in 2018 for $190 million.

According to 2020 HMDA data, Caliber originated 228,633 single-family loans in 2020 with an origination volume of $70.6 billion. It ranked fifth in purchase loans.


For months, New Residential Investment Corp. has been considering an IPO for its New Rez mortgage division. The company is recovering from a difficult 2020. It posted a $1.6 billion loss due in the first quarter of 2020, primarily due to the Fed Reserve’s purchase program, which tanked the value of its mortgage-backed securities investments. Its mortgage business, NewRez LLC, originated 213,852 single-family loans worth $61.60 billion in 2020 in 2020, the company said. That ranked it the 16th-largest mortgage originator by volume in America, according to Inside Mortgage Finance.


If the deal goes through, it would be the third large-scale mortgage company acquisition in recent months. Guaranteed Rate acquired Stearns Lending in a private deal in early January and AmeriHome (which also failed to go public) was scooped up by Western Alliance for approximately $1 billion.


Start Your Loan with DDA today
Your local Mortgage Broker

Mortgage Broker Largo
See our Reviews

Looking for more details? Listen to our extended podcast! 

Check out our other helpful videos to learn more about credit and residential mortgages.

Finally, putting a stop on the trigger list

By Didier Malagies • September 10, 2025
Excited to share a major update that will make the homebuying process more secure and less stressful. President Donald Trump recently signed the Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act of 2025 into law. This bill is a significant victory for the real estate industry, as it directly addresses the problem of unwanted calls, texts, and emails that often flood clients upon mortgage application. What's Changing? For years, many borrowers have experienced a barrage of unsolicited contact from different lenders immediately after their mortgage application. This happens because of "trigger leads"—a process where credit reporting agencies sell information to other companies once a credit inquiry is made. Effective March 5, 2026, this new law will put a stop to this practice. It will severely limit who can receive client contact information, ensuring client privacy is protected. A credit reporting agency will only be able to share trigger lead information with a third party if: • Clients explicitly consent to the solicitations. • The third party has an existing business relationship. This change means a more efficient, respectful, and responsible homebuying journey. We are committed to a seamless process and will keep you informed of any further developments as the effective date approaches. In the meantime, you can use the information below to inform clients how to proactively protect themselves from unwanted solicitations.  Opting Out: • OptOutPrescreen.com: You can opt out of trigger leads through the official opt-out service, OptOutPrescreen.com. • Do Not Call Registry: You can also register your phone number with the National Do Not Call Registry to reduce unsolicited calls. • DMA.choice.org: For mail solicitations, you can register with DMA.choice.org to reduce promotional mail. tune in and learn https://www.ddamortgage.com/blog didier malagies nmls#212566 dda mortgage nmls#324329

Finally putting a stop to the Trigger leads from happening

By Didier Malagies • September 10, 2025
We're excited to share a major update that will make the homebuying process more secure and less stressful. President Donald Trump recently signed the Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act of 2025 into law. This bill is a significant victory for the real estate industry, as it directly addresses the problem of unwanted calls, texts, and emails that often flood clients upon mortgage application. What's Changing? For years, many borrowers have experienced a barrage of unsolicited contact from different lenders immediately after their mortgage application. This happens because of "trigger leads"—a process where credit reporting agencies sell information to other companies once a credit inquiry is made. Effective March 5, 2026, this new law will put a stop to this practice. It will severely limit who can receive client contact information, ensuring client privacy is protected. A credit reporting agency will only be able to share trigger lead information with a third party if: • Clients explicitly consent to the solicitations. • The third party has an existing business relationship. This change means a more efficient, respectful, and responsible homebuying journey. We are committed to a seamless process and will keep you informed of any further developments as the effective date approaches. In the meantime, you can use the information below to inform clients how to proactively protect themselves from unwanted solicitations. Opting Out: • OptOutPrescreen.com: You can opt out of trigger leads through the official opt-out service, OptOutPrescreen.com. • Do Not Call Registry: You can also register your phone number with the National Do Not Call Registry to reduce unsolicited calls. • DMA.choice.org: For mail solicitations, you can register with DMA.choice.org to reduce promotional mail. Didier Malagies nmls212566 DDA Mortgage nmls324329 

When is the right time to refinance your mortgage

By Didier Malagies • September 8, 2025
Good question — refinancing can be a smart move, but the timing really matters. The "right time" to refinance your mortgage depends on a mix of personal and market factors. Here are the main ones to weigh: 1. Interest Rates If current mortgage rates are at least 2% lower than your existing rate, refinancing could save you money. Example: Dropping from 7% to 6% on a $300,000 loan can save hundreds per month. 2. Loan Term Goals Switching from a 30-year to a 15-year mortgage can help you pay off your home faster (though monthly payments are higher). Extending your term may lower your monthly payment but increase total interest paid. 3. Equity in Your Home Lenders usually want you to have at least 20% equity for the best rates and to avoid private mortgage insurance (PMI). If your home’s value has increased, refinancing can help eliminate PMI. 4. Credit Score If your credit score has improved since you got your mortgage, you may now qualify for much better rates. 5. Life Situation Planning to stay in the home at least 3–5 years? That’s often how long it takes to “break even” on refinance closing costs. If you might sell sooner, refinancing may not make sense. 6. Debt or Cash Needs A cash-out refinance can help if you want to consolidate higher-interest debt, fund renovations, or free up cash — but it raises your loan balance. ✅ Rule of Thumb: Refinance if you can lower your rate, shorten your term, or eliminate PMI, and you’ll stay in the home long enough to recover the costs. tune in and learn https://www.ddamortgage.com/blog didier malagies nmls#212566 dda mortgage nmls#324329
Show More