Economy

While the government-sponsored enterprise cut its origination forecast for this year, the Mortgage Bankers Association's updated forecast was unchanged from its October prediction.

In her first remarks since the release of a sweeping report on the banks, Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Sandra Thompson urges them to strengthen underwriting and communication with their members' regulators.

The market's reaction to the Consumer Price Index report on Tuesday helped to push the 10-year Treasury and 30-year fixed-rate loan lower, Freddie Mac said.

With a scarcity of listings driving high home prices, both repeat and new purchasers are putting the most money down in decades, the report found.

Often a harbinger of recessions, the fact that short-term yields are higher than long-term is not inherently bad, Federal Reserve Gov. Chris Waller said Tuesday, noting that in this case it could prove that market expectations are anchored.

Freddie Mac's survey finds the 30-year fixed loan dropped 3 basis points, but Zillow's tracker showed since the FOMC announcement, they dropped 30 basis points.

High interest rates and constrained inventory will take its toll on originations and securitization activity in 2024, the rating agency commented.

At the same time, the 15-year fixed rate loan rose above 7% for the first time in nearly 23 years, Freddie Mac reported.

The Federal Reserve released its semiannual financial stability report highlighting elevated asset values, funding issues and pockets of leverage as top concerns.

The Fed's higher for longer statements have pushed up the 10-year Treasury in recent weeks to levels last seen in 2007 and that is affecting pricing.