Mortgages

For five of the six private mortgage insurers, the surge of originations during the fourth quarter led to more new business versus the prior three months.

Aulene Wessel also previously worked in the fintech sector, and will be heading up accounting in her new post at the nonbank mortgage lender and servicer.

Even after a servicing write-down, the GAAP net income of $164.4 million during the fourth quarter substantially topped comparative periods at UWM Holdings.

The bank announced Tuesday its Blueprint for Housing Opportunity plan, a five-year commitment dedicated to increasing the supply of housing.

The contract rate on a 30-year mortgage dropped 8 basis points to 6.09% in the week ended Feb. 20, according to Mortgage Bankers Association data released Wednesday.

The agreement between servicing technology platform Vertyx and Great Lakes Credit Union arrives as the mortgage industry sets its focus on borrower retention.

Nearly 14% of homes that went under contract last month were cancelled, up from 13.1% last year and the highest January share in records, according to Redfin.

Bowman's Basel III relief may ease MSR capital but won't bring banks back; risk weights and economics still favor nonbanks, according to the Chairman of Whalen Global Advisors

Home prices edged up nationwide, but gains were modest and uneven. Major indexes agree on direction, differ on size, as 2025 posted weak growth.

Home buyers working with the originator won't have to liquidate their digital assets to access purchase, refinance, second-home or investment loans.

Some mortgage companies are taking advantage of a loan-interest deduction that was designed to benefit community banks, a Washington State legislator alleged.

A median-income household could comfortably afford a $331,483 home with a 20% down payment in January, $30,000 more than a year ago, Zillow found.

The sector has specialized data that experts can help with and may mitigate cyclical risk, but costs and customers are considerations, an industry veteran says.

In a letter to regulators, the consortium of organizations recommended regulatory changes affecting a range of rules from risk weights to warehouse financing.

The Trump Administration proposed banning a smaller investor size than expected from purchasing more single-family houses, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Research from Andrew Davidson claims a significant number of mortgage borrowers would have a wide variance in credit score if less than three pulls are used.

Ownwell is one of the latest companies focused on easing mortgage-adjacent processes and costs to find new investment in the first two months of 2026.

The increase in borrower activity came as housing starts ended 2025 on a high note, while mortgage rates were a percentage point lower year-over-year.

The impact of insurance costs, availability and related state rules also were top of mind at the Mortgage Bankers Association servicing conference.

While the Freddie Mac survey recorded a weekly decline, the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield had moved back up by 6 basis points around midday on Thursday.