Mortgages

Loans will continue to be originated and closed in the name of Firstrust Bank but the MortgageCountry will oversee lending end-to-end and provide its leadership.

Residential lending remains steady in select cities as resilient housing markets, strong employment, limited supply, and migration trends shape borrower demand.

Falling rates spurred a refi surge that pushed defect rates to 1.79% in Q3, driven by income and compliance documentation gaps as lenders ran lean, per Aces Quality Management.

The typical homebuyer's down payment in the United States decreased 1.5% year over year to $64,000 in December, Redfin said.

Toll Brothers Inc. fell short of analysts' estimates for quarterly orders, signaling that fewer people are signing contracts to build homes as high prices and economic uncertainty hold some buyers back.

The agencies' representatives weighed in on the insurance fund's capital ratio and evolving policies at the Mortgage Bankers Association's servicing conference.

Some observers say changes to MSR risk-weighting would have limited near-term impact and are unlikely to prompt banks to rush back.

The two organizations announced the Certified Home Equity Advisor credential, which will help financial professionals integrate home equity in retirement plans.

Large and mega investors accounted for 5.8% of all single family-home purchases in December, up from 4.8% at the same time last year, according to Cotality.

Company veteran Austin Niemiec is running the wholesale arm after the departures of Fawaz, a prominent broker advocate, and general manager Dan Sogorka.

An index of market conditions from the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo, in which below 50 means more builders see conditions as poor than good, edged down in February to 36, the lowest level since September.

Treasuries rallied and broke key levels, but stubborn 5-year resistance still caps momentum and rate-cut expectations remain unchanged, the CEO of IF Securities writes.

Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman said in a speech Monday morning that the central bank will introduce two capital proposals that she said are aimed at boosting banks' role in the mortgage market.

The mortgage broker trade group put out a white paper calling for lowering transaction costs, increasing housing supply and reducing regulatory barriers.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will add loan-level buydown data to MBS this spring, giving investors clearer insight into prepayment risk tied to temporary rate incentives.

Mortgage delinquencies increased across loan types, and while 30-day late payments showed overall improvement, later-stage distress worsened.

Point Digital Finance originated the underlying home equity contracts, composed of first lien (11.1%), primarily second-lien (82.9%) and third liens (5.81%) on residential properties.

Unison faces allegations it operates as an unlicensed mortgage lender with misleading marketing that drives homeowners into high-risk "no-debt" contracts.

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.09% Thursday, down two basis points from last week, while the 15-year rate fell to 5.44%, according to Freddie Mac.

A House subcommittee hearing discussing the future of the government-sponsored enterprises, noted both are still severely undercapitalized.