Originations

Rocket jumps first to raise 2027 conforming loan limits to $845,000, with Rate and CrossCountry matching; UWM's move still pending marking an early signal of IMB competitive positioning.

Bank of America Securities research shows this sector has had its best year since at least 2017, but some trends in the market point to a need for caution.

If Fed Chair Kevin Warsh's comments lack substance on inflation in the market's opinion, it is likely to drive mortgage rates even higher, NerdWallet warned.

The product expansion comes at a time when not just non-agency issuance is expected to have a record year, but other lenders are getting into wholesale.

Price gains slowed to a crawl from May to June, specifically in the West, but Central and East Coast regions showed steady year-over-year gains.

The Mortgage Bankers Association lowered its refi expectations by 5% this month, as rising mortgage rates are dampening borrowers' positions.

As tech facilities push into lower income and rural housing markets, lenders navigate local growth without major impacts on home sales price trends.

So far, annual home lending growth is on track to slow, but not stop, with some positive developments surfacing amid broader challenges.

For the first time in six weeks, the 30-year fixed rate mortgage dropped, with observers expecting a steady but challenging housing market for the rest of 2026.

An industry sentiment index hit a new low, with 45% of investors saying the current business environment has worsened compared to a year ago.

Lenders reported July declines of HECM endorsements and new securities issuances, but proprietary lending drove a 28% year-over-year surge in originations.

Originators need to keep an eye on the 10-year Treasury yield used in pricing mortgages, which not only broke through 4.6%, climbed above 4.7% on Thursday.

Equity levels grew to start 2026 after pulling back to end last year, as older homeowners increasingly say they prefer to remain in place rather than downsize.

Economists at the government-sponsored enterprise have been lowering their single-family origination volume estimates for several months.

The National Association of Home Builders Remodeling Market Index for the second quarter posted a reading of 61, a one-point decline from the first quarter.

A week after falling to its lowest point since mid-May, the 30-year fixed rate mortgage turned higher as the 10-year Treasury rose 15 basis points since June.

Mortgage applications rose 0.4% on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week prior for the period ending June 26, according to the MBA's Market Composite Index.

A potential end to the Iran War could lead to economic recovery, suggesting sub-6% rates may be far off as monetary policy discussions take a hawkish tone.

The decline in non-owner occupied acquisitions came as sales fell overall due to high mortgage rates and bad winter weather in the Northeast, BatchData said.

Rithm and UWM Holdings are the favorite names among publicly traded lenders, while BTIG adds coverage of Better Home & Finance at a buy rating.