Origination

Senator Elizabeth Warren and three Democratic colleagues urged Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to lower interest rates to help bring down housing costs ahead of the central bank's policy meeting this week.

In the wake of the Surfside condo collapse, Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae instituted stricter rules regarding the soundness of this crucial form of housing stock as it ages. In response to complaints about a lack of clarity on buildings deemed unfit for financing, the GSE unveiled plans to improve transparency for both homeowners associations and lenders. 

A little over 280,000 customers had their birth dates and Social Security numbers compromised during the cyber attack.

Cullen/Frost in Texas, BankUnited in Florida and Bank OZK in Arkansas are among the banks that have, at least for now, allayed investors' fears about their exposure to the CRE sector.

At the same time, the Hilltop Holdings unit expects its gain-on-sale margins to remain pressured in the coming year.

The National Association of Realtors' index of contract signings increased 8.3% to 77.3 after holding at a record low a month earlier, according to data out Friday.

Purchases of new single-family homes increased 8% to a 664,000 annual pace last month, after an upward revision to November's figure, government data showed Thursday.

Connecticut issued a cease and desist order, alleging that Loansnap used unlicensed originators to solicit borrowers and accept loan applications in violation of multiple federal laws.

Lawmakers criticized the Biden administration's Risk Rating 2.0 effort — which was meant to reduce insurance premiums by developing more refined models — as ineffective, arguing that the program has increased rate premiums in vulnerable areas.

Even with the 9 basis point rise this week, they have remained at the same level since mid-December, and that should bring people into the market, Freddie Mac said.