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Refinancing

Optimal Blue mortgage data shows 50% refi jump in January as rates dip

HWmember, MBS, Mortgage, Mortgage Rates, Optimal Blue, Origination, Purchase Applications, Rate Lock, Refinancing /

Optimal Blue reported a sharp increase in refinance activity in January as falling mortgage rates spurred borrowers to act, according to its January 2026 Market Advantage data report released on Tuesday. Total rate-lock volume rose 16% from December and was 36% higher than in January 2025. The increase was driven primarily by rate-and-term refinances, which […]

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GSEs boost foreclosure prevention as forbearances surge

GSEs boost foreclosure prevention as forbearances surge

Fannie Mae, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Forbearance, Foreclosure, Freddie Mac, GSEs, HWmember, Loss Mitigation, Mortgage, Refinancing /

Foreclosure prevention activity increased in October as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac completed more than 17,000 actions to help struggling homeowners, according to a Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) report released Thursday. The government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) completed 17,032 foreclosure prevention actions in October 2025, bringing the total to nearly 7.3 million since the start of

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Sharp decline in mortgage rates revives hopes of a refi surge, LOs say

HWmember, LendingLife, Loan Officer, Mortgage, Mortgage Rates, Origination, Refinancing /

Mortgage rates briefly fell below 6% on Friday for the first time in nearly three years — driven by President Donald Trump’s proposed $200 billion push in the secondary market. If they stay that low, they are expected to spur refinance activity.  Historically, a 22–basis-point decline in the 30-year fixed mortgage rate, such as the

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Mortgage demand drops, but refi share reaches highest level since September

HWmember, Mike Fratantoni, Mortgage, Mortgage applications, Mortgage Bankers Association, Origination, Purchase Applications, Refinancing /

Mortgage applications decreased 3.8% from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)’s weekly mortgage applications survey for the week ending Dec. 12. On an unadjusted basis, the index decreased 5% compared with the previous week. The refinance index decreased 4% from the previous week and was 86% higher than the

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Making the 7-day refi reality: Closing without the wait

Contributors, HWmember, Opinion, Refinancing /

The last mile of the consumer’s mortgage origination journey — scheduling and signing — is often where frustration peaks for borrowers. In our digital-first world, few consumers expect unclear and inflexible processes related to their notary appointment — or to be tethered to in-person paperwork. Yet for many lenders, this remains the norm. That disconnect

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November mortgage lock data driven by strong refinance activity

HWmember, Mortgage, Mortgage Rates, Optimal Blue, Origination, Rate Lock, Refinancing, Secondary market /

Optimal Blue on Wednesday released its November 2025 Market Advantage report, which revealed that mortgage rate-lock activity slowed with typical late-fall seasonality but still posted the strongest November in four years. Total lock volume fell 25% from October but was up 17% from November 2024, driven by strong refinance activity and mortgage rates hovering near

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Making the 7-day refi reality: Modernizing mortgage appraisals

Appraisals, Appraisals and Valuations, Contributors, HWmember, Mortgage, Opinion, Refinancing /

For many borrowers, the appraisal is the most stressful step in a refinance: part mystery, part high-stakes hurdle. Will the home appraise high enough? Will it delay closing? What actually determines the final value? Lenders can help ease these concerns by adopting the right combination of technology, strategy, and partnerships to modernize the process. A

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ARM, refinance activity buck the trend of declining mortgage demand

HWmember, Joel Kan, Mortgage, Mortgage applications, Mortgage Bankers Association, Mortgage Rates, Origination, Purchase Applications, Refinancing /

Mortgage applications decreased 0.3% from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)’s weekly mortgage applications survey for the week ending Oct. 17. On an unadjusted basis, the index decreased 0.2% compared with the previous week. The refinance index increased 4% from the previous week and was 81% higher than the same

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Mortgage applications increase as rates fall to 12-month low

HWmember, Mike Fratantoni, Mortgage, Mortgage applications, Mortgage Bankers Association, Mortgage Rates, Origination, Purchase Applications, Refinancing /

Following another decline in mortgage rates, mortgage applications increased 0.6% from one week earlier, per data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA)’s weekly mortgage applications survey for the week ending Sept. 19, 2025. Without adjusting for seasonality, the index increased 0.1% compared with the previous week. A key driver of applications was the refinance share

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Here’s why non-QM earned its place at the mortgage dinner table

Contributors, Mortgage, Non-QM, Opinion, Origination, Refinancing /

The non-qualified mortgage market has experienced significant growth since its introduction nearly a decade ago. 10 years in, credit ratings agencies regularly release performance metrics for investors, which provide remarkable insight into this extremely versatile asset class. In a recent default study on non-QM performance over the years, for example, KBRA analysts note that non-QM

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