Origination

Mortgage insurer Essent Group reported higher net income for the first quarter of 2016 as premium growth outpaced rising expenses.

Lending standards tightened once again in April, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Mortgage rates are now hovering just above their low point for the year, according to Freddie Mac.

Under the Federal Housing Finance Agency's new mortgage modification program, less than 1% of all seriously underwater properties might qualify for principal loan forgiveness, according to RealtyTrac.

PHH Corp. reported a first-quarter loss of $30 million, which included a $10 million pretax adjustment to the value of its mortgage servicing rights.

New rules have made it more challenging to originate mortgages without drawing attention from regulators. Mercantile Bank in Michigan, however, believes that positive trends in its biggest markets are incentive enough to hire lenders and improve its systems.

Social Finance Inc., whose loan originations have been concentrated in the non-qualified mortgage space, will now offer conforming products after receiving Fannie Mae seller/servicer approval.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency announced Wednesday it had raised a cap on the amount of multifamily loans Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can buy from lenders, boosting it to $35 billion effective immediately.

Freddie Mac's second quarterly loss in less than a year makes it clear profitability is getting tougher as it shrinks. But it's a concern that must be weighed against more long-term efforts to reduce Freddie's overall credit risk exposure.

Mortgage applications dipped 3.4% from a week earlier, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.