Mortgage rates fell to their lowest level since September 2017, with the 30-year down 17 basis points as worries over foreign trade policy continued to roil the markets, according to Freddie Mac.

Commercial and multifamily mortgage lenders need to figure out their plan for replacing the London interbank offered rate index potentially expiring at the end of 2021.

There's been chatter about whether the government-sponsored enterprises should be considered systemically important. But supporters must consider that such a designation would put the Fed in charge of their supervision, a step that would do more harm than good.

Although Libor will will not be phased out until at least 2021, Randal Quarles said making the switch early is "consistent with prudent risk management."

Many banks have already scaled back home lending or even left the business. With profit margins shrinking, inventories of homes at crisis levels and competition from nonbanks intensifying, that’s unlikely to change.

Democrats and Republicans on the House Financial Services Committee called for steps to minimize the harm to community banks and credit unions bracing for the new accounting standard.

Affordability got better for mortgage borrowers at the start of 2019, but housing inventory constraints limited the degree of improvement, according to the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo.

Nonbank mortgage companies have traditionally been monoline or focused businesses, but in the current market they must create multiple revenue lines and strike a healthy balance between them to survive.

Mortgage rates dipped after four weeks of increases, finally mirroring the drop in the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield, according to Freddie Mac.

Mortgage rates rose slightly for the second consecutive week, but should remain low for the foreseeable future, which will aid the purchase market, according to Freddie Mac.