Refinance

The strong refinance market in the fourth quarter propelled earnings at three different mortgage-related business that also were dealing with merger and acquisition activity during and after the period.

The U.S. mortgage insurance business remained a bright spot for Genworth Financial, as fourth quarter adjusted operating income increased 29% and new insurance written rose nearly 95% over the prior year.

Mortgage application volume increased 5%, led by refinancings, as interest rates continued to fall on fears that the coronavirus was spreading in China and elsewhere, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Mortgage refinancings made up slightly under one-third of MGIC Investment Corp.'s new insurance written during the fourth quarter, contributing a significant percentage of its business.

With steady home price appreciation and falling interest rates, by some measures the shares of distressed mortgages existing in the market shrunk to record lows, according to Black Knight.

A 10-basis-point year-over-year increase in gross margin on loans sold, along with a nearly 30% increase in origination volume, helped Waterstone Mortgage turn around its fourth-quarter results.

Many American homeowners count on the equity in their property to help fund their retirement years, but they might be overconfident by relying on that, according to Unison.

Mortgage rates continued sliding this week as investors put money into safer assets like bonds, contributing to the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage dropping 9 basis points, according to Freddie Mac.

After being range-bound for several weeks, mortgage rates are fluctuating enough to spur significant changes in refi incentive, according to Black Knight.

Mortgage applications increased 7.2% from one week earlier as consumers reacted to falling interest rates related to news regarding the coronavirus, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Conundrum for lenders: How to overcome top producers' tendency to stay put?

Flasgstar Bancorp's mixed results in its fourth-quarter earnings report are a sign strategic shifts it made to make its earnings less volatile are working.

Lower rates spurred a lot of unexpected mortgage business in 2019 but credit unions need to prepare themselves for what happens once the boom ends.

Trade associations representing mortgage lenders and securities market participants are asking the Federal Housing Finance Agency to rethink a plan to restrict pooling options for loans sold into uniform mortgage-backed securities.

Mortgage application activity slowed down this past week from its fast start to 2020, with a decrease of 1.2% from one week earlier, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

With interest rates expected to stay low while wages and the overall economy grow in conjunction, Fannie Mae again boosted its single-family mortgage origination outlook for 2019, 2020 and 2021.

Mortgage loan officer compensation remained level year-over-year as an unexpected surge in originations surprised employers expecting it to be a down year, an LBA Ware report said.

Mortgage application activity increased 30.2% from one week earlier as purchases were at their highest level in over a decade along with substantial growth in refinancings, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

There was less credit available for the first time in four months in December, when lenders offered fewer conventional and government products, particularly Veterans Affairs-guaranteed loans, the Mortgage Bankers Association said.

While the refinancing boom took a step back, millennials purchasing power grows in the low mortgage rate environment, according to Ellie Mae.