EPM Sets the Record Straight: HousingWire Chooses Clicks Over Truth in FHA Story

ATLANTA, Sept. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Equity Prime Mortgage (EPM), a first-generation Latino-owned mortgage lender, today issued a statement responding to HousingWire's misleading report on recent FHA actions.

Contrary to HousingWire's headline, which implied a sweeping termination of EPM's FHA approvals nationwide, the official notice in the Federal Register makes clear that the action was limited to a few jurisdictions. EPM continues to originate FHA loans across the country and remains a proud FHA-approved lender.

"This isn't about bad credit or poor underwriting," said Eddy Perez Jr., CEO of EPM. "This was a narrow and specific action, not the sensational headline HousingWire ran with. Their approach is designed for clicks, not for truth. And when the press misleads, it doesn't just hurt companies, it hurts the very families who rely on accurate information about access to homeownership."

EPM believes it is important to recognize that delinquency ratios are indicators, not outcomes. These numbers do not represent losses to the FHA insurance fund or to EPM, and they should not overshadow the fact that families are making payments and building stability. The reality is that skyrocketing property taxes, insurance premiums rising 200 to 400 percent, and the broader pressures of inflation across the country have placed stress on households that were otherwise well-qualified at origination.

Instead of acknowledging these economic realities, the ratios are used as blunt instruments that paint a distorted picture of performance. The result is that lenders who serve the communities most affected by these pressures like first-time buyers, minorities, women, veterans, and rural families are penalized simply for doing the work of expanding access to homeownership.

"We respect the role of accountability, but we also know numbers alone can't tell the story," said Philip Mancuso, President and Partner at EPM. "Statistics don't capture the resilience of families fighting to stay in their homes. That is what matters, and that is what we stand behind…It's easy to lend money to people who don't need it…"

At the heart of this fight are the communities EPM serves. More than 90 percent of the company's borrowers are Hispanic, Black, women, first-time buyers, veterans, or rural families. By enforcing rigid formulas without context, HUD's decision directly limits access for those most in need of the opportunity to own a home.

"How do we say no to the people who need help the most? That isn't the American way," Perez continued. "We call it The American Gift, the chance to own a home, to build wealth, to create stability. Without that chance, freedom itself is compromised."

EPM has already taken decisive steps to ensure that this situation will not happen again. The company has transitioned to new servicing partners, implemented updated overlays and guideline adjustments around gift funds and debt-to-income ratios, retired its first down payment assistance program and built a new one to ensure adjustments, and terminated broker relationships that did not align with its credit standards. EPM also appointed Frank Razi, a former HUD leader, as Chief Credit Officer to oversee credit policy and portfolio performance moving forward.

Mancuso added, "When COVID hit, EPM was one of the first and only prepared lenders to stand up and provide liquidity in a market shocked by the adverse economic effects of the pandemic. Not once did we fail to fund loans, restrict credit, or limit accessibility. In fact, the opposite, we provided liquidity to many lenders who were hours, days, or weeks away from going out of business. Over the last 18 years, we've been a pillar of stability, a bedrock of consistency, and a partner that our borrowers, brokers, and fellow industry veterans alike could trust and rely on."

What is most troubling is that HousingWire has once again chosen sensationalism over truth. While the Federal Register told a measured story of limited scope, HousingWire ran with a national "termination" headline designed to generate traffic rather than inform the industry. Sadly, this is not the first time.

"In a time when truth is what this country needs more than ever, they chose headlines over facts. We will not sit back while our mission is misrepresented and the communities we serve are disrespected. We are here, stronger than ever, and we will continue to fight for families who deserve their shot at the American gift of homeownership," says Perez.

About EPM

Equity Prime Mortgage (EPM) is a purpose-driven mortgage company focused on empowering families through responsible access to homeownership. EPM partners with brokers and community leaders nationwide to expand opportunity for first-time buyers, veterans, and underserved communities—because The American Gift should belong to everyone.

Media Contact

Jenna Silverman
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SOURCE Equity Prime Mortgage