Bill Pulte, the director of the oversight agency setting policy for the government-sponsored enterprises, has pressed Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to do more to lower mortgage rates but the GSEs themselves also have a hand in loan pricing that reform could impact. A Fannie Mae study notes that while the 10-year treasury yield, which […]
How GSE changes in LLPAs, MBS could shift rates Read More »
Planet Financial Group grew its production volume by 64% and its mortgage servicing portfolio by 28% year-over-year in the third quarter, as its portfolio retention unit reported record lock volumes in September, a strong month for refinances in the industry. The privately held company did not disclose any profit or loss data. As a group,
Planet’s Home Lending outpaces mortgage industry in 3Q Read More »
As interest rates continue to ease and borrower confidence rebuilds, originators are operating in a market that demands both adaptability and creativity. To better understand how mortgage professionals are approaching today’s environment, I asked four experienced originators to share how they’re guiding clients, leveraging non-qualified mortgage (non-QM) solutions, and refining their playbooks to stay competitive.
The originator’s playbook: Competing and growing in a shifting market Read More »
The month of December typically has the lowest weekly seasonal demand for housing, but it’s a big key to how the spring of 2026 will perform — if you know what housing data lines to focus on. Traditionally, I wouldn’t care so much about December housing data; however, post-COVID, the forward-looking seasonal demand data has
December housing data provides early signals for 2026 market Read More »
The debate over the large builders’ elevated use of mortgage buydowns — and the potential risks to buyers — isn’t new. Reigniting the argument, a recent report from the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) asserts that mortgage buydowns among the large builders are artificially inflating new home prices, therefore creating a risk for buyers in the
Are mortgage buydowns a lifeline or a risk for new homebuyers? Read More »
Mortgage rates inched down this week, and they are likely to remain stable throughout the rest of the year. After three consecutive weeks of upticks, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate dropped 0.3 basis points to 6.23% from last week when it averaged 6.26%. The 30-year rate averaged 6.81% this week a year ago. The 15-year
Mortgage rates tick down for first time this month Read More »
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that a key theme of his interviews for the next chair of the Federal Reserve has been simplifying the US central bank, which he indicated has become too complex in how it manages money markets. “One of the things in terms of the criteria that I’ve been looking for” has
Bessent calls for simplified Fed as he ends candidate interviews Read More »
Low mortgage rates that continued in October brought prepayment speeds to their highest share in approximately three-and-a-half years, the ICE Mortgage Technology First Look report said. The monthly prepayment rate of 1.01% was up by 36.84% over September, when it was 74 basis points, and by 19.29% as compared to October 2024’s 85 basis points.
October’s prepay speeds at highest in over three years Read More »
The housing market experienced a slightly positive shift mid-June and is ending 2025 on even more positive news. Existing home sales have shown four consecutive months of year-over-year growth and our total pending home sales data has just reached a multiyear high for this calendar week. By tracking weekly housing demand we can see that
Total pending home sales reach multiyear high with mortgage rates near 6% Read More »
As someone who’s spent decades in the mortgage trenches—and as one of the owners of a $1 billion independent mortgage banking company—I’ve seen a few sunrises and sunsets in this industry. The 2008 crisis. Conservatorship. Waves of QE. Worsening LLPA’s. Adverse market fees. The pandemic housing chaos. Two percent refinances. The fastest rate spike in
From the warming drawer to the freezer: Tariffs, the Supreme Court and housing Read More »