Origination

The Fed's announcement is responsible for a 19 basis point drop in the 10-year yield over a two-day period, pushing the 30-year fixed under 7% for the first time since August, Freddie Mac said.

The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady for a third meeting and gave its clearest signal yet that its aggressive hiking campaign is finished by forecasting a series of cuts next year.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development proposal, which would modernize client meetings necessary for some mortgages, is similar to an FHA move.

Falling interest rates are behind a recent spike in government-backed lending as well as refinances, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

The government is moving forward with a catalog of pre-approved home designs to reduce the cost and time it takes to build housing. The idea dates back to the 1940s when thousands of soldiers returned from the Second World War and needed a place to live.

Analysts agree that the Long Island-based bank will probably absorb some losses due to its exposure to struggling segments of the commercial real estate market. But they differ on the extent of the likely damage.

While mortgage assumptions are on the rise, so too are complaints leveled against mortgage servicers for how they handle the loans. A common refrain is that the companies are moving too slowly.

More borrowers are taking action but lack good information, Fannie Mae finds. Meanwhile, premiums are up yet insurers struggle to profit, a separate KBRA study shows.

Decreasing availability of jumbo and non-QM products accounted for most of November's pullback, as other types of loan offerings saw minimal changes, the Mortgage Bankers Association said.

With a great deal of mortgage industry conversation revolving around how companies might best survive the current downturn, a theme has emerged around the value of offering more, even if the market expects to originate less.