Origination

The Alabama-based regional bank reported stronger earnings on a bump in capital markets fee revenue and lower expenses, but its total loans declined and its charge-offs increased. It expects only modest loan growth this year.

A gauge of the outlook for home purchases over the next six months dropped 6 points to 60, the first decline since June, according to the NAHB and Wells Fargo.

Single-family starts, which account for most new construction, climbed 3.3% to a 1.05 million annualized rate, also the strongest since February 2024.

The president-elect's Cabinet nominee, Scott Turner, committed his support for affordable housing but also said he would examine the effectiveness of all HUD programs.

The non-QM segment industry-wide had a 25% increase in issuance dollar volume during 2024 as market conditions for private-label securitization were better.

The 30-year fixed rate mortgage topped 7% for the first time since last May, although late in the week, the 10-year Treasury peaked before reversing course.

The insurance market going into the Jan. 7 catastrophe already had been hit with non-renewals and cancellations -- and an overburdened state-supported insurance plan. A Morningstar analyst said the state insurance commissioner's reform strategy could have turned it around but now faces new obstacles.

The FCC is advising homeowners nationwide to stay alert for scam calls impersonating their mortgage lenders, particularly if they have applied for loan relief.

A former NFL player and representative in the Texas Legislature, Turner served in the first Trump term to lead development in "opportunity zones."

Gov. Gavin Newsom modeled his latest order on a similar ban imposed in Hawaii following the 2023 Maui wildfire that aimed to protect community wealth.