FHA

Large banks had huge losses from originating mortgages in 2018 as costs were three times higher than similar-sized independent lenders, according to research conducted by Stratmor and the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Mortgage applications decreased by 3.4% this week, although refinance activity remained close to its 2019 high point, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Quicken Loans claimed victory in its dispute with the Department of Housing and Urban Development over the False Claims Act, only paying the agency for losses incurred and interest.

The interpretation by HUD, conveyed in a letter to Congress by Assistant Secretary Len Wolfson, appeared to contradict the agency's earlier comments about borrowers in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

With refinance activity rising to its highest level in three years, mortgage application volume increased 26.8% from one week earlier, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

The use of financing to buy fix and flip properties increased 35% annually by dollar volume to its highest level in nearly 12 years, according to Attom Data Solutions.

Roughly 50 of the more than 100 staff members Live Well Financial let go after it stopped funding loans will join Open Mortgage, a multichannel lender in expansion mode.

Refinance mortgage application activity surged as interest rates fell to their lowest level since the start of 2018, but potential homebuyers remained sidelined due to economic uncertainty, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Consumer worries over the direction of the U.S. economy affected mortgage application activity this past week even as interest rates remained flat or declined, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

In a weak first quarter, housing activity held up better for first-time homebuyers than others, according to a new Genworth Mortgage Insurance report.

With mortgage rates falling to their lowest level in over a year, refinance volume drove this week's increase in application activity, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

The Federal Housing Administration and Ginnie Mae will use their lagging digital mortgage positions to their advantage as they put an emphasis on building their technology.

Housing finance reform cannot be piecemeal, but must be done using a comprehensive approach, an independent mortgage banker says.

The trade dispute with China is likely to affect consumers' willingness to buy a home and apply for a new mortgage loan, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Issuance of mortgage-backed securities increased and came close to matching 2018 levels in the latest month tracked by Ginnie Mae.

Even though mortgage delinquencies increased on a quarter-to-quarter basis, strong overall metrics mitigate any concerns regarding future loan performance, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

The industry welcomed a proposed overhaul of how the government identifies False Claims Act violations, but some say it remains to be seen if the changes are enough to satisfy companies that had bolted.

An increase in purchase activity drove the week-over-week rise in mortgage application volume as homebuyers entered the market while interest rates fell, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Two nonprofits threatened by the effort say the Department of Housing and Urban Development tried to avoid scrutiny last month when it announced the new policy outside the formal rulemaking process.

Alarmed about continued high nonmarket-based prepayment rates, Ginnie Mae is requesting input from lenders on how to make the mortgage-backed securities it guarantees fairer to investors without hurting borrowers.