Origination

But the rapid drop could be enhancing the volatility that is keeping buyers out of the market, Freddie Mac said.

Another fall in interest rates spurred a gain in activity, but volumes are still almost 70% off levels from 12 months ago, the Mortgage Bankers Association said.

President Biden announced that his administration would extend the pandemic-era pause in student loan repayments through June 30 amid legal challenges to his college debt-forgiveness plan.

Nonbanks will probably see the least change, while securitization lenders, depositories and REITs are likely to experience the most, an Urban Land Institute survey suggests.

The national median payment grew to $2,012 last month from $1,941 in September, the Mortgage Bankers Association found.

The case involved a customer who was charged $100,000 in legal fees when he tried to pay off a commercial mortgage early. After the borrower waged a nearly decadelong legal fight, a Florida court ordered the bank to reimburse a portion of the fees.

Loan officers, processors and closers were impacted, a source said. What remains is a "skeleton crew" to run operations.

Rising mortgage rates also led to the highest level of listing price reductions as well as the largest annual drop in pending home sales, Redfin found.