It was an uneventful day for mortgage rates with the average lender close enough to Friday’s levels that borrowers would not see much of a difference between the two days. The bond market (which underlies and dictates rate movement) was still in quasi-holiday mode as most overseas markets were closed for holidays. Financial markets (including […]
Mortgage Rates Steady to Slightly Lower Read More »
Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae have respectively released a mix of new flexibilities and requirements for single-family mortgages they purchase as April has gotten underway. Processing Content Fannie is pulling back on some prefunding measures it had previously emphasized, while Freddie is making changes that affect loans in an underserved market that advocates and housing
GSEs ease prefunding rules, extend manufactured housing terms Read More »
Reverse mortgage lender Finance of America is offering a new product that allows older homeowners to access their home equity without, they say, adding another monthly expense. Processing Content The lender launched HomeSafe Second Line of Credit, a second-lien reverse mortgage line of credit that allows homeowners 55 and older to draw funds as needed
FOA launches new reverse mortgage line of credit product Read More »
Key insight: The Trump administration’s budget proposes a $204.5 million cut to the Treasury Department’s Community Development Financial Institution Fund, and would redirect remaining awards to rural areas. What’s at stake: The proposal reflects months of conflict between the Office and Management and Budget and Treasury over the fund’s future, with OMB withholding congressionally appropriated
Trump budget includes cuts to CDFI Fund Read More »
Improved affordability and increased inventory helped the spring homebuying season get off to a strong start, but the recent rise in mortgage rates has pushed some buyers out of the market, according to ICE Mortgage Technology’s latest mortgage monitor report. Processing Content “Mortgage rates bottomed near 5.95% early this year, pushing affordability to its best
Spring’s hot housing market just ran into a problem Read More »
When your house sits on the market longer than expected, it can get frustrating fast. You start asking: what now? And for a growing number of homeowners, that turns into: should I just rent it instead? While it sounds like a simple backup plan, becoming “accidental landlord” is actually a much bigger decision than most
Your House Hasn’t Sold Yet. Should You Rent It Out Instead? Read More »
A wave of steering investigations from the past year could keep growing. Processing Content Lawsuits and state probes for violations of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act and its Section 8 provision have risen in the past year, said Jonathan Kolodziej, partner at Bradley Arant Boult Cummings. The mortgage industry attorney noted increased scrutiny from
RESPA cases are rising as states fill CFPB void Read More »
Enjoy complimentary access to top ideas and insights — selected by our editors.Want unlimited access to top ideas and insights? Subscribe Now Since the US-Israeli war with Iran erupted, yields on the ten-year Treasury note have risen almost half a point, pulling residential mortgage coupons up a similar amount for 30-year fixed rate loans. Markets
What President Trump can do about mortgage rates Read More »
War-time economics have, of course, sent gas prices skyrocketing, but have also pushed mortgage rates higher over the last five weeks, from a low of 5.99% to a high of 6.64%. Rates have fallen a bit recently, but higher rates have slowed some of the housing data down. In the past, mortgage rates above 7%
How is the housing market weathering war-time economics? Read More »
As crazy as this may sound, the jobs data in 2026 has improved from the levels of 2025. That’s how low the bar was this year for growth and today’s jobs report reaffirmed that. Now, with a bar so low we can all trip over it, context is key. Over the last six months of
So far, 2026 job growth is better than 2025 Read More »