Originations

Some hopeful souls in Washington believe the commercial banking industry will return to originating and servicing higher-risk mortgages, but most banks are more likely to continue withdrawing from the sector.

As 30-year fixed-rate mortgages rose 30 basis points year-over-year, non-QM originations are estimated to grow 400% in 2019.

Independent mortgage banks have been instrumental in filling the void left by banks that have retreated from the home lending market since the Great Recession.

Plans to begin rating securitizations backed by fix-and-flip mortgages may help lenders create new capacity and satisfy growing demand for short-term financing of house flipping projects.

While Fannie Mae's multifamily origination volume took a step back from 2017's record high of $67 billion, its delegated underwriting and servicing program provided $65 billion in financing in 2018, led by Wells Fargo.

Mortgage industry hiring and new job appointments for the week ending Jan. 25.

Financial consultancy Richey May has purchased mortgage business analytics provider Amata Solutions in a deal that will help the acquiring company further build out the technology-consulting division it started last year.

Mortgage application activity decreased from one week earlier as rising interest rates cooled borrowers' interest in getting a loan, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

The deadline for the 2019 Top Producers has been extended to Friday, Feb. 22 at 6 p.m. EST. Loan officers are encouraged to take the survey and participate in the annual ranking program that recognizes the accomplishments and successes of the industry's best originators.

While most single-family Federal Housing Administration lending is somewhat insulated from the government shutdown, the impasse is doing more to hurt funding in niches like nursing home loans and reverse mortgages.

Mortgage applications for new homes declined again as worries over the stock market and the global economy outweighed lower interest rates for potential buyers, the Mortgage Bankers Association said.

Mortgage industry hiring and new job appointments for the week ending Jan. 18.

1st Alliance Lending CEO John DiIorio explains why the mortgage lender turned down a consent order with the Connecticut Department of Banking and the high cost of fighting what he sees as an overreach of regulators' enforcement power.

Bank of America's first-mortgage production dropped almost 26% year-over-year in the fourth quarter of 2018, but it experienced a less severe 10% decline in home equity lending during the same period.

American homeownership has been on the decline, and Federal Reserve researchers point to the high cost of college as one culprit.

Purchase mortgage application volume reached its highest level in almost nine years as homebuyers took advantage of what might be a fleeting window for lower interest rates.

Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase had reduced mortgage-related earnings in the fourth quarter as home loan activity continues to fall short of expectations.

Citigroup's residential mortgage originations declined 23% and its home-loan revenue dropped by 35% year-over-year in the fourth quarter of 2018, as the company continued to distance itself from home loans.

Many federal agencies have been closed for more than three weeks, making it the longest shutdown in U.S. history. With no end in sight, here's how it's affecting banks, credit unions and mortgage lenders.

The American Bankers Association has called for an end to the government shutdown, saying it has prevented customers from securing loans and threatens even more damage.