Mortgages

A new Federal Reserve analysis finds rising debt-to-income and loan-to-value ratios over the past two years, while credit scores largely remained the same.

Mortgage rates rose this week as investors priced stronger than expected inflation and jobs affecting Fed moves into the 10-year Treasury.

Mortgage lenders offered more cash-out refinance programs at a time when consumers might be coming to terms with the rate environment.

In a study posted weeks after it raised concerns about "junk fees," the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau noted that the amount of borrowers paying discount points doubled from 2021 to 2023, with the increase larger among consumers with lower credit scores.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development agency warned in an online notice that issuers with prepayments exceeding certain limits could face sanctions.

A hedge fund-backed newsroom accused the industry giant of overcharging borrowers by hundreds of millions of dollars through "corrupt UWM loyalist" brokers.

Dean Wheeler will drive the firm's growth push in the U.S. and follows the London firm promoting Serenity Morley to COO, to drive growth globally.

Initial analyses of Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data show UWM ahead in 2023 loan numbers and dollar volume, but Rocket's market share still looks competitive.

The Midwest was the main driver of the increase in pending sales, with a 10.6% jump, while contract signings in the South edged up 1.1%.

The 30-year fixed rate mortgage, the movements of which have been volatile in recent weeks, is expected to stay in the range of 6.5% for the first half of the year before trending down, Freddie Mac said.