Originations

Monetary policy officials have finally gone a month without tightening but made it clear more action could lie ahead, suggesting it could be awhile before housing finance costs consistently fall.

A larger share of sellers were optimistic in May, but the percentage of enthusiastic buyers fell, according to Fannie Mae's Home Purchase Sentiment Index.

The Berkshire Hathaway unit first invested in the underwriter in May 2022. Previously it was wholly owned by Realogy.

A change in investor sentiment toward an expected pause by the Fed in short-term rate hikes was the driving force behind the current surge, Freddie Mac said.

But there are regional variations in housing markets across the country, the Federal Housing Finance Agency said.

Home purchasers had to come up with 0.9% more in April versus what they would have paid in March and 11.8% higher on a year-over-year basis, the Mortgage Bankers Association said.

The Mortgage Bankers Association sees the likelihood of a rise in sales activity later this year based on recent construction trends, in a turnaround from the 2022 market.

The government-sponsored enterprise only tweaked the two-year mortgage origination forecast, with a $6 billion reduction for 2023, but an increase of $7 billion for 2024.

Jobs numbers, inflation data and the continued debate over raising the debt ceiling are factors applying upward pressure.

Although issuance of new securitizations has been low compared to year-ago levels, it rebounded as spring buying began