Author: Esther Huang

What is a CEMA Loan in New York? A Guide to Mortgage Tax Savings

If you lend on New York real estate, you’ve likely run into the state’s Mortgage Recording Tax. It applies every time a new mortgage is recorded. But there’s a legal mechanism that can significantly reduce that cost on refinance transactions: the Consolidation, Extension, and Modification Agreement, or CEMA. This guide covers what a CEMA is, […]

Lightning Docs System Updates 10.16.26

We have issued an update to the system that modified the following: Updated Default Trustee for Virginia: When the Property State is Virginia, a new trustee will be set as the default unless another option (Loan Servicer, Title Company, Other) is selected. The new default trustee option is: Blue Ridge Trustees, LLC, a Virginia limited […]

How the September Fed Rate Hike Impacted DSCR and Bridge Loan Markets

September brought the first Fed rate increase since 2023 and, with it, renewed concerns about rising rates within business-purpose lending. As I covered here, the increase was heavily anticipated within our industry and had been a factor in the rate movement of the last couple of months. DSCR rates have risen recently, but by much […]

Summer Slowdown: Growth Cools as Private Lending Shifts Beneath the Surface

August brought some of the lowest growth numbers we’ve seen in 2026. That’s not too concerning on its own as per-business-day loan counts remain near their high watermark, but same-store sales growth is clearly leveling off as competition heats up across business-purpose lending. For a long time, readers have asked for a more detailed breakdown […]

Lightning Docs Updates 8.25.26

We have issued an update to the system that modified the following: ASSIGNMENTS We have enhanced the Assignment feature in Lightning Docs. This update will allow users to:

Key Markets Update: How Lending Activity is Concentrating in California, Texas, and Florida

California, Texas, and Florida are the three states driving much of Lightning Docs’ loan data, but through July 2026 they tell diverging lending stories. Nationally, bridge lending grew 9.4% year over year, while DSCR lending grew more than 35%, outpacing bridge loans for a second straight year. Underneath these national statistics, however, each of the […]