LOAN PRODUCTS

The Mortgage Bankers Association found gains in March for conforming, jumbo and government-sponsored loan indices for the third consecutive month.

Conforming loan limits are determined using a home price index. A congressman is proposing a switch to an income-based metric, creating more jumbo mortgages.

HECM endorsements rose 16% in March to 2,117 loans, but monthly volumes remain near their slowest pace since last summer as proprietary reverse products quietly steal market share.

The real estate fintech touted Doma's role in Fannie Mae's title-acceptance pilot as key to the deal, which follows Opendoor's recent mortgage product rollout.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed but both firms are nationwide mortgage originators, with CrossCountry claiming it is the top retail lender.

President Trump's executive order on mortgage credit calls on federal agencies to ease the path for eNotes, digital mortgages and remote notary, something lenders have been wrestling with for years.

Accounting rules on loan lock timing helped drag down nonbank mortgage profits, the Mortgage Bankers Association said.

Lennar's first fiscal quarter earnings were down by more than half after three years of persistent trials which are testing consumer confidence and sentiment.

Agency MBS investors have had limited information about primary loans coexisting with home equity products, and may want to get more now, according to Experian.

The company dropped the broker channel just months after Frank Martell became CEO; now that Anthony Hsieh is running things again, LoanDepot brought it back.

The Mortgage Industry Standards Maintenance Organization is nearing completion on the first of a three-phase Veterans Affairs loan guarantee modernization effort.

Chicago-based mortgage lender Rate is partnering with Westlake Financial to offer in-app auto loans, advancing its push into product diversification and broader household financial services.

Mutual of Omaha, Finance of America and Longbridge Financial rank at the top of HECM endorsements over the past 12 months, Reverse Market Insight reported.

The merger adds strengths of Direct Mortgage's conventional and government segments to the Lendermac platform, supporting the latter's growth ambitions.

For five of the six private mortgage insurers, the surge of originations during the fourth quarter led to more new business versus the prior three months.

Home buyers working with the originator won't have to liquidate their digital assets to access purchase, refinance, second-home or investment loans.

Research from Andrew Davidson claims a significant number of mortgage borrowers would have a wide variance in credit score if less than three pulls are used.

Falling rates spurred a refi surge that pushed defect rates to 1.79% in Q3, driven by income and compliance documentation gaps as lenders ran lean, per Aces Quality Management.

As mortgage rates sank to near 6% in January, consumers looked to do rate-and-term refinances, while originators offered more ARMs and cash-out loans.

Overall, three-quarters of those in a National Mortgage News survey believe loan production will increase during 2026, but just 15% felt strongly about it.