Origination

The Buffalo, N.Y., bank will pay a $546,000 penalty, which will be passed on to the National Flood Insurance Program to help offset costs.

Just a week after commenting that the bottom on mortgage rates was possibly reached, Freddie Mac reported that they fell 6 basis points to another record low.

Lower-than-expected rates will drive mortgage production this year, but they’ll have less of an impact in 2021.

A surge of mortgage originations allowed Ginnie Mae to surpass its high watermark for mortgage-backed security issuance by nearly 33%.

California house sales will rebound slightly next year from the pandemic, and home prices will continue edging upward, thanks to rock-bottom mortgage rates and strong homeownership demand, according to the California Association of Realtors.

The pandemic has exacerbated delays and inefficiencies in loan manufacturing, while adding to security risks.

Providers, including investors in low-income housing tax credits, have become hesitant to make deals.

One could change how commercial property is taxed, the other could change rent control policies. Both might affect financing.

Mortgage applications decreased 0.7% from one week earlier, but lending activity should continue strong for the remainder of the year as rates stay low, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.