Federal legislation banning traditional mortgage trigger leads has cleared the Senate and is likely to be signed into law in the coming weeks. When that happens, lenders will lose a familiar — and often crowded — way to identify borrowers after a credit pull. For some, that will feel like losing a trusted tool overnight. […]
With trigger leads going away, lenders who prepare will win Read More »
Mortgage lenders managed to increase origination volumes earlier in 2025 in a still-sluggish housing market at the same time home equity loans grew at their fastest pace in three years, according to Transunion. Originations climbed up 5.1% on an annual basis in this year’s first quarter to just approximately 980,000 loans, according to the latest
Mortgage lenders see signs of 2025 originations growth Read More »
Mortgage rates this week fell to their lowest level since October, supported by one better than expected inflation report as well as ongoing concerns regarding employment data. But an unexpected finding in the Bureau of Labor Statistics July Producer Price Index report could put a hold on a potential September Federal Open Market Committee short-term
Mortgage rates move lower on inflation, employment news Read More »
Tailwinds behind the non-qualified mortgage segment are leading to growing secondary market volumes, while loan pools are on par with recent performance levels, according to a new Morningstar DBRS report. Second-quarter non-QM volumes exceeded last year’s number, totaling over $9.8 billion of typical securitizations, the ratings agency said in a new report. On a year-over-year
Favorable tailwinds drive growth in non-QM securities Read More »
The Federal Housing Association is likely to continue to take market share away from the private mortgage insurers for the foreseeable future, a Keefe, Bruyette & Woods report said. Insurance-in-force for all forms of mortgage insurance grew by 1.3% between the first and second quarters and by 5.5% year-over-year, the report from Bose George and
FHA poised to outpace private mortgage insurers Read More »
US mortgage rates dropped last week by the most since February, enticing homeowners to step up refinancing. The contract rate on a 30-year mortgage declined 10 basis points to 6.67% in the week ended Aug. 8, according to Mortgage Bankers Association data released Wednesday. The rate on a 15-year mortgage retreated below 6% for the
US 30-year mortgage rate declines by most since February Read More »
Home lending credit reversed course following a one-month dip, with availability returning to the upside even as conforming product offerings declined in July, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. The MBA’s credit availability index edged up 0.2% month over month to a reading of 103.9. The score rose from 103.7 in June, which was the
Jumbos, ARMs drive uptick in credit availability Read More »
Private mortgage insurers wrote just 2% more new business on a year-over-year basis in the second quarter, but market share shifts widened the spread between the six underwriters. The industry-wide market share gap was 1.7 percentage points for both the second quarter 2024 and first quarter of 2025, according to data from Keefe, Bruyette &
Private MI market share gaps widen in Q2 Read More »
The disappointing spring home purchase season influenced the second quarter results of the publicly traded title insurance underwriters. Certain metrics were strong, with pretax title margins at three of the companies’ showing significant gains versus the second quarter. Stewart was up 630 basis points, First American reported a 530 basis point rise and Fidelity National
Title insurers see margins rise, sales still weak Read More »
Freddie Mac has expanded its program for loans on real-property factory-built homes that have features in common with traditional houses like pitched roofs, attached garages and permanent foundations. The government-sponsored enterprise said it is now buying single-section CrossMod homes loans for the first time, making it possible for borrowers to get reduced rates for housing
Why there’s renewed interest in financing factory-built homes Read More »