Mortgages

The annual reconciliation shows nonbank cuts were deeper than the initial read suggested, and comes as the latest numbers for broader employment show a surge.

A day after the regional bank's stock tumbled on tough fourth-quarter results and some austerity moves, observers debated whether management just needs time to build enough capital to catch up with growth or if it is still too overexposed in multifamily lending.

Chairman and CEO of Pennymac, David Spector, said the one-time cost will allow the company to retain ownership of a proprietary system that could build value for investors.

With tougher capital requirements looming, a number of regionals including U.S. Bancorp, Huntington and Santander are using these new instruments to share risk with nonbank investors and lighten their capital load. Experts point out the pros and cons.

Some large Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac portfolios have gone to market recently and an unusual Ginnie Mae multifamily and healthcare package is up for sale too.

Equity-rich mortgages — those that have a loan-to-value ratio of 50% or lower, meaning the borrower's equity stake is at least half the property's value — decreased to 46.1% from 47.4% the prior quarter, according to the US Home Equity & Underwater Report published by real estate data firm ATTOM. 

As a result, a robust housing market is now on the horizon, Freddie Mac chief economist Sam Khater declared.

The Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024 includes restoration of a 12.5% increase in the program's 9% limit that expired in 2021.

The lender has signed a letter of intent to acquire single-family mortgage operations and staff, according to Rick Arvielo, NAF's chief executive.

A key Senator had urged Fed Chairman Jerome Powell to lower rates early this year, but although there's more consensus on making such a move, it now looks unlikely to happen until after the next meeting.

The wholesale giant touts the move as giving brokers a leg up on banks and retail lenders waiting for the next origination wave.

Aspiring buyers took out fewer loans last week, leading to the overall decline, but the average purchase-loan size also surged to its highest mark since last spring, the Mortgage Bankers Association said.

The company's building unit saw income slow, but the mortgage banking division number accelerated on both a quarterly and annual basis.

The net proceeds will be used to pay down borrowings on a credit line secured by its mortgage servicing portfolio.

Strategies used to falsify identities and property ownership highlight a public assistance vulnerability that could have implications for the mortgage industry.

A national gauge of prices climbed 0.2% in November from October, according to seasonally adjusted data from S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller. That's slower than the 0.6% monthly gain in October.

Two Harbors, which also reported a gain in comprehensive income, recently completed an acquisition that made it the eighth largest conventional servicer.

Over 70 loans were allegedly sent to competitors by the independent mortgage banker, a suit filed by UWM alleges.

A potential buyer with a budget of $3,000 per month for their payments is now able to afford an approximately $453,000 home.

Senator Elizabeth Warren and three Democratic colleagues urged Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to lower interest rates to help bring down housing costs ahead of the central bank's policy meeting this week.