Secondary markets

Mortgage insurers commit to using VantageScore 4.0

The U.S. Mortgage Insurers repeated its commitment for members to work with the Federal Housing Finance Agency to implement VantageScore 4.0. In an Aug. 27 blog post, the group said it welcomed FHFA Director Bill Pulte’s announcement permitting Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to accept loans using the VantageScore 4.0 algorithm and its members will […]

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FHA adds momentum to new appraisal format’s use

The Federal Housing Administration, which receives the largest share of mortgage applications among the government guarantors, is adopting the UAD 3.6 appraisal format going into place in the conforming market. The new UAD 3.6 Uniform Residential Appraisal Report is replacing traditional boilerplate forms which are currently being used, such as the Fannie Mae 1004. But

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GSEs’ regulator allows Rocket-Mr. Cooper combo with caveats

The oversight agency for two government-sponsored enterprises greenlighted plans for industry giant Rocket Cos. to buy megaservicer Mr. Cooper, but only under certain conditions. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s regulator will require the new combined company to have “appropriate financial and operating safeguards.” Their regulator specifically is requiring them to each maintain “strict counterparty risk

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Cook allegations suggests new mortgage fraud priorities

President Trump’s attempt to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook over mortgage fraud allegations has been called part of a larger crackdown, which suggests there could be value in looking at potential changes it points to for lenders. Housing regulator Bill Pulte has claimed alleged fraud findings like Cook’s are not political, in contrast to

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Why the next rate drop could unlock a $300B refi wave

The latest mortgage interest rate drop didn’t change refinancing incentives in the conventional securitized market, but a subsequent decline could, a new FHN Financial report shows. Primary mortgage rates’ dropped roughly 20 basis points in the past month to around 6.6%. The largest range of loans bucketed together in the securitized market and exposed to

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Knock hits profitability with $100M loan securitization

Led by financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald who also served as initial purchaser of the bonds, the issuance is expected to help Knock deliver $900 million worth of additional originations of its bridge loan product. The deal closed on Aug. 14 and was 75% pre-funded, garnering strong demand from institutional investors operating in residential mortgage-backed

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As Trump, foes collide, occupancy fraud is spotlighted

With three of Donald Trump’s adversaries now under investigation for occupancy fraud, the practice of misstating a home’s intended use on mortgage applications is drawing fresh scrutiny. We asked experts how widespread the problem really is and what the renewed attention could mean for the industry. The type of fraud a government-sponsored enterprise regulator is

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ALTA adds seller impersonation coverage to its title policy

The American Land Title Association has created two title insurance policy endorsements addressing the issue of seller-impersonation fraud. These endorsements will allow title insurers to cover any potential legal costs to correct public records if forged deeds or mortgages are recorded. The first, formally known as the ALTA 49 Endorsement, covers forgery in a new

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Trump, Pulte spotlight ‘Great American Mortgage’ plan

Housing regulator Bill Pulte has posted a video that sheds a little more light on the Great American Mortgage Corporation, an entity President Trump has hinted earlier could be headed toward a public offering this year. The video Pulte posted on X promotes President Trump’s housing role and alludes to his criticism of other policymakers’

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UAD 3.6: How the mortgage industry should prepare

Following the financial crisis, the conforming secondary market created new rules for delivering data, starting with the Uniform Mortgage Data Program and the Uniform Collateral Data Portal. The UCDP rolled out in June 2011, soon followed by the Uniform Appraisal Dataset. This fall, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will begin testing the next big change:

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