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New-home purchase activity rose 3.1% year over year, but dropped 7% from October, the Mortgage Bankers Association said.

Higher unemployment has driven these indications of distress higher but most loans that financial institutions hold in their portfolios are still performing.

Nonfarm payrolls increased 64,000 in November after declining 105,000 in October, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data out Tuesday.

Remote work helped fuel migration and erased the loss of rural residents that occurred in the decade prior to the arrival of Covid, Harvard researchers found.

The threshold regards loans where the annual percentage rate is at least 1.5 percentage points higher than the average prime offer rate on first liens.

The home purchase market, which competes for consumers with rentals, should remain subdued in 2026 because of high mortgage rates and low affordability.

Federal Reserve Gov. Stephen Miran said higher goods prices could be the trade-off for bolstering national security and addressing geo-economic risks.

Rising labor and material costs could weigh on final expenses, despite a slower summer for hurricane and tornado claims, according to Verisk.

The partnership also includes a $50 million equity investment in Finance of America, securing long-term alignment between the companies.

Confidence among US homebuilders edged up in December as builders continued to deploy sales incentives to motivate buyers.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have added billions of dollars of mortgage-backed securities and home loans to their balance sheets in recent months, fueling speculation that they're trying to push down lending rates and boost their profitability ahead of a potential public offering.

After home equity surged in 2023, average gains slowed last year before falling into negative territory over the past 12 months, Cotality said.

For 2026, the mortgage industry operating environment will improve, while nonbank financial metrics should be within Fitch's rating criteria sensitivities.

Rohit Chopra is named senior advisor to the Democratic Attorneys General Association's working group on consumer protection and affordability; Flagstar Bank adds additional wealth-planning capabilities to its private banking division; Chime promotes three members of its executive leadership team; and more in this week's banking news roundup.

The executive order described state legislation on artificial intelligence as a cumbersome patchwork, and pledged to develop a national framework.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development announced the FHA-insured loan caps for low- and high-cost areas, which are set based on conforming loan limits.

Kansas City Federal Reserve President Jeffrey Schmid and Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee said in statements Friday that their dissents from this week's interest rate decision were spurred by inflation concerns and a lack of sufficient economic data.

The new monthly reporting rule lists improved accuracy and timeliness of MBS payments among its goals, with implementation planned for February 2026.

Leading Democrats on the Senate Banking Committee sent a letter to Chair Tim Scott, R-S.C., pointing out the as-yet unsatisfied legal requirement for prudential regulators to appear in Congress semiannually.

Treasury Secretary Bessent said FSOC is readjusting its approach to avoid stifling growth in moves with implications for capital, technology and mortgages.