Originations

A new CFPB rule will expedite the forbearance and loss-mitigation process for consumers suffering financial hardship from the pandemic.

The language most frequently spoken by LEP consumers is Spanish, followed by Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean and Tagalog. The Federal Housing Finance Agency's online clearinghouse translates CARES Act forbearance information into these languages.

Purchase mortgage application volume was at its most in over a decade as consumer confidence continued to improve in the aftermath of the coronavirus shutdown, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

The availability of some loans used to build homes dried up due to the coronavirus. Opening up the economy may help if it doesn't lead to a spike in infections, and if consumer demand persists.

The measures extended by the Federal Housing Finance Agency include alternative methods used for certain appraisals and for verification of employment.

The Federal Housing Administration's move to insure loans with forbearance could help support homeownership opportunities constrained by the coronavirus if one change was made to it, trade groups said.

The coronavirus made it particularly tough for independent contractors and independent business owners to get home mortgages, but there are some signs that market may recover soon.

Mortgage applications increased 2.7% from one week earlier, as purchase volume is now outpacing the prior year's activity, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

With mortgage rates reaching all-time lows in the opening quarter, refinance originations were up in 97% of housing markets during 1Q, according to Attom Data Solutions.

After ending 2019 on a high note, Ocwen Financial posted an income loss in the first quarter due to the unexpected costs and volatility created by COVID-19.

Purchase mortgage activity rose for the third consecutive week, although the total volume was flat compared with the previous seven-day period, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Efforts to calm lenders’ fears about coronavirus-related forbearance may not offset tightening standards, and the FHA is less likely to boost volume than it was during the financial crisis.

The move is part of an effort by CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger to help smaller lenders by significantly raising loan thresholds for collecting and reporting mortgage data.

Additional mortgage-backed securities purchases by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York will address private investor skittishness about the asset class, but it will not necessarily lower rates.

Refinancing activity is surging, existing borrowers are inquiring about loan modifications, loan closings are being delayed by more complex credit checks — and banks are short on people to handle it all.

A dip in conventional mortgage refinance demand drove mortgage application volume down compared with one week earlier, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

For the first time since the start of the housing crisis, mortgage origination volume could top $2 trillion for three consecutive years, according to Fannie Mae.

FICO plans to release a new suite of scores that could reduce defaults on newly originated mortgages by 17%, but home lenders may not use it unless the government-sponsored enterprises do.

Consumer perception of the housing market ticked up slightly in December, as potential buyers remain bullish about making a home purchase in 2020, a Fannie Mae report said.

The FHFA’s attempt to move some of its balance sheet into the private sector could leave investors with greater liabilities than they were initially told.