Origination

President Trump has tapped Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney as interim head of the CFPB. He has taken tough stances on the CFPB, its payday lending rule, housing finance reform and other issues pending before the agency.

Sometimes reaching underserved borrowers takes experimenting with changes to the mortgage finance system. That's why Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are working with lenders to test innovative loan products that meet borrowers' evolving needs.

When data doesn't tell the whole story about untapped market opportunities, mortgage executives must draw on their personal experiences and local expertise to craft unique strategies to reach new borrowers.

With mortgage originations on the decline, lenders that want to regain lost volume or grow market share must work harder to identify and reach underserved borrower segments.

Federal Reserve officials meeting earlier this month saw an interest-rate increase in the near term even as divisions persisted over the policy path forward amid tepid inflation.

The Federal Housing Administration's recent actuarial report has added more fuel to the fire over concerns about reverse mortgages, including their effect on the overall FHA insurance fund and a rise in foreclosures.

Mortgage rates ticked down this week after previously hitting their highest level since July, according to Freddie Mac.

Consumer default rates are up month-to-month, which may reflect a gap between spending and income that is stressing second mortgages and bank cards, Standard & Poor's and Experian find.

Home price appreciation continues to increase at a much higher than normal pace, although the rate of growth has been slowing since the summer.

Mortgage applications rose slightly this week, increasing 0.1% from a week earlier, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.