Capital markets

Efforts aimed at modernizing outdated sets of PLS mortgage information could facilitate electronic transmissions and benefit lenders looking to broaden opportunities for secondary market sales.

In addition to hinting at a March rate hike, the central bank this week announced an intention to have Treasury securities make up a greater share of its holdings, which has implications for securitized home loans.

New player Tomo is entering this niche while a trio of established players enhance their existing offerings for their third-party channels.

Esusu, a financial technology company that aims to help bridge the racial wealth gap by reporting rent payments to credit agencies, has become one of only a few Black-owned startups to reach a valuation of $1 billion after closing a Series B round led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2.

Among the mortgage industry investors in the product and pricing engine provider are Movement Mortgage and First American Financial.

The company will leverage its diversified consumer-finance model while optimizing a traditional mortgage business with thinner margins as the business cycle turns, CEO Patti Cook said.

Due to the rollback in stimulus and uncertainties related to other mortgage policy measures and rates, servicers are moving into uncharted waters, according to a Fannie Mae economist.

The change aims to streamline the processing of certain pandemic-related loan options that accommodate lower monthly payment amounts for borrowers with long-term economic hardships.

The researchers found that the disparities that emerged from the analysis of 1.8 million appraisals from 2019 and 2020 were statistically significant.

Home valuation professionals have had mixed feelings about automation out of concern that some forms could result in less accurate assessments.