Originations

Mortgage applications decreased 4.3% from one week earlier although concerns over the global economy resulted in falling interest rates, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

In a long-term attempt to stabilize its earnings from the cyclical nature of home loans, HomeStreet took a loss in the opening quarter of 2019.

Provenance Blockchain, recently spun off from Mike Cagney's Figure Technologies, says it can help lenders trim 70% of mortgage settlement expenses through speedier processing and paperwork reduction.

Mortgage industry hiring and new job appointments for the week ending April 26.

Quicken Loans parent company Rock Holdings is strengthening its investments in the Canadian market by acquiring a majority stake in Lendesk, a Vancouver-based mortgage fintech.

Customer-facing mortgage technology is not that big of a deal for Top Producers based in the South, even as a growing number of lenders are partnering with fintech firms to create a better user experience.

Purchase mortgage applications, which until now were unaffected by the recent rise in interest rates, fell by 4% on a seasonally adjusted basis from last week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Even after integrating the 52 Wells Fargo branches acquired in December as part of its efforts to diversify beyond home lending, Flagstar Bancorp's first-quarter earnings were driven by increased mortgage revenue.

Mortgage industry hiring and new job appointments for the week ending April 19.

Surging loan production expenses and low revenue killed profits in 2018 for loans originated by independent mortgage bankers and subsidiaries of chartered banks, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Northeast mortgage originators relied heavily on referral relationships with attorneys and financial planners and less so with homebuilders last year, the Top Producers 2019 survey found.

Higher interest rates cut refinance mortgage application volume and reduced overall activity even as the purchase index reached a nine-year high, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Mortgage lenders have invested heavily in various digital tools that improve the consumer experience, but what they really need to focus on is artificial intelligence that will improve data quality.

Lower interest rates increased Bank of America's first-quarter residential mortgage volume by 21% over the previous year, while home equity dropped by 25%.

Citigroup's first quarter mortgage-related revenue increased compared with the fourth quarter — although down slightly from the same period last year — as its lending operations continued to contract.

First-quarter mortgage banking results at Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase could be an early sign of an improving industry.

Mortgage industry hiring and new job appointments for the week ending April 12.

Multifamily and commercial lenders had another banner year in 2018, when closed-loan originations rose 8% to a high of $574 billion.

Mortgage rates rose slightly for the second consecutive week, but should remain low for the foreseeable future, which will aid the purchase market, according to Freddie Mac.

The National Mortgage News 2019 Top Producers countdown takes a look at the top 50 loan officers by number of units originated.