Originations

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Even though volumes are expected to taper from 2020’s record highs, lenders plan to take on more employees in 2021, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association and McLagan Data.

A Realtor.com survey of consumers aged 18 to 25 found that 45% share are already saving for a home.

Increases in refinances, both in applications and average size, help lead overall numbers higher

The move is a vote of confidence for the private market in financing, which has been revitalized by limits government-related investors have put on certain loan purchases.

The financial services company will use its new capital to invest in artificial intelligence and machine learning to cut transaction times, as well as build its own servicing platform.

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The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at press time had promised to take the sudden nature of the new holiday’s implementation into consideration as it consulted with other agencies on the issue.

Announced the day before the first federally recognized Juneteenth holiday, the Black Homeownership Collaborative has a seven-point initiative to improve upon racial equality in home buying in the next nine years.

The new calculation of borrowers’ monthly obligations will allow for a higher debt load from tuition, potentially opening eligibility to more Black applicants, according to public officials.

The data also showed that more purchase loans were made to low- and moderate-income borrowers last year, but fewer refinances.

Investors appear to support the notion that lending to borrowers who don’t have traditional incomes could be a growth engine for lenders as other sources of volume weaken.

Demand was strongest at the high end of the market, which pushed loan amounts up for the fourth straight month.

But the government-sponsored enterprise raised its total origination volume forecast for 2021 based on slightly stronger than expected refinance activity.

A spike in government-sponsored applications helped lead indexes to their largest gains in several weeks.

The move makes it easier for borrowers who don’t have standard W-2 incomes and those that do to get loans from the same outlets, and reflects broader trends.

Changed borrower psychology and the severe housing inventory shortage dropped lending activity across the board, according to Black Knight.

There’s now a unique, additional source of demand that’s opening up in an already fiercely-competitive housing market that VA lenders have to solve for.

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Purchase loans tick upward, even as housing demand pushes prices well above 2020 levels.