Origination

Part one of five in a series: TRID and the regulatory landscape.

Mortgage applications for newly constructed homes continued to increase on a year-over-year basis, as existing home listings remain constrained.

Commoditization of mortgages, plus technology that eases the refinance process, and the regulatory environment, all contributed to the decision.

The Alabama-based regional bank reported stronger earnings on a bump in capital markets fee revenue and lower expenses, but its total loans declined and its charge-offs increased. It expects only modest loan growth this year.

A gauge of the outlook for home purchases over the next six months dropped 6 points to 60, the first decline since June, according to the NAHB and Wells Fargo.

Single-family starts, which account for most new construction, climbed 3.3% to a 1.05 million annualized rate, also the strongest since February 2024.

The president-elect's Cabinet nominee, Scott Turner, committed his support for affordable housing but also said he would examine the effectiveness of all HUD programs.

The non-QM segment industry-wide had a 25% increase in issuance dollar volume during 2024 as market conditions for private-label securitization were better.

The 30-year fixed rate mortgage topped 7% for the first time since last May, although late in the week, the 10-year Treasury peaked before reversing course.

The insurance market going into the Jan. 7 catastrophe already had been hit with non-renewals and cancellations -- and an overburdened state-supported insurance plan. A Morningstar analyst said the state insurance commissioner's reform strategy could have turned it around but now faces new obstacles.