The government-sponsored enterprise put more money aside as mortgage interest rates rise and home prices start to decline.

The six active underwriters wrote 14% less business compared with the second quarter and 30% from one year prior.

While credit risk has been kept under control to date, the government-sponsored enterprise's leaders said Tuesday that they are concerned it could be on the verge of an uptick.

The lender reported a 24% drop in volume quarter-over-quarter but said it compared favorably to the average 29% decline projected by the Mortgage Bankers Association.

The company is reporting both higher origination volume and net earnings on a quarter-to-quarter basis.

The company's volume fell behind its wholesale-focused chief competitor's in the third quarter but management foresees potential weakness in the broker channel.

Without the increase in valuations, the company recorded a reduced, adjusted, pretax loss in the third quarter; so it's doing more to cut costs and focus on subservicing strategies.

Leaders of its parent company touted the success of subscription models and also made a case for its proposed merger with Black Knight in an earnings call

Servicing numbers propelled the REIT to the positive third-quarter result, while the company also announced it had acquired a stake in a commercial real estate investment firm.

They have a range of positions in the mortgage market; and some investors believe they could be bought at a discount now, potentially gaining value later when interest rate stability returns.