Originations

A year that saw businesses express growing interest in the segment ended with a more subdued outlook due to interest rate trends, according to a new report.

The share of waivers submitted with purchase mortgages sold to the government-sponsored enterprises accelerated just prior to a change that will make more loans eligible.

Keefe, Bruyette & Woods expects a better year for originations than either Fannie Mae or the Mortgage Bankers Association, although volume will remain below the norm.

The Freddie Mac mortgage rate tracker on Thursday morning showed the conforming 30-year fixed rate mortgage creep closer to the 7% level last seen in May.

Refinance demand fell precipitously as average contract interest-rates for most loans rose in the two-week leadup to Christmas.

Even as annual home value growth levels out and the pace slows, prices are still rising and reached new records in October, two separate tracking measures disclosed.

Rithm Capital has been teasing an initial public offering of the mortgage banker for some time, and 2025 is likely to be the year, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods said.

Pending home sales during November were led by a 5.2% monthly increase in the South, with smaller advances in the West and Midwest, the National Association of Realtors said.

Loan officers say the main reasons real estate partnerships fall through are poor communication and mismatched expectations.

Mortgage rates have run higher since the most recent Federal Reserve meeting as consumer spending points to economic strength.

Mortgage rates should decline very gradually next year as the Federal Reserve will keep to its implied path of short-term rate reductions, Freddie Mac said.

The complaint claims over 50 class members and it alleges potential damages exceeding $5 million from the bank.

Changes to buyer broker commissions, along with the National Association of Realtors battle with the Biden Administration, had an impact on how mortgage lenders operated in 2024.

The watchdog accuses Rocket Homes and The Mitchell Group brokerage of initiating a plan to generate origination business for Rocket Mortgage.

A Washington, DC tax accountant pleaded guilty for submitting falsified documents in his application for a $1.4 million purchase loan, which he later received.

Only some of the increase compared with October can be attributed to Hurricanes Helene and Milton, as annual rates have increased six months in a row, ICE Mortgage Technology said.

Mortgage loan officers say more positive customer reviews help optimize SEO, thereby pulling in more future borrowers on the lookout for an originator.

The fiscal condition at the government agency is much healthier today than when the Department of Housing and Urban Development put the policy into effect back in 2013.

Activity from smaller mom-and-pop investors dominates the segment, but their impact on overall housing prices might be overstated, Corelogic's research found.