Mortgages

Borrowers gained an average of $34,300 in home equity since the third quarter of last year, but that's almost half the amount of growth recorded over the summer.

The products are currently limited to a single distribution channel, but the company hasn't ruled out offering them through third-party originators in the future.

The deal will close for $10 million in cash, plus the right to purchase nearly 33.9 million shares of common stock.

Deterioration in credit quality should put strain on collateral originated in late 2021 and early 2022, affecting performance, Barclays Credit Research said.

Home prices dropped again on a monthly basis in October, exacerbating the loss in home equity among recent buyers, but the size of the falloff was the smallest since June.

Lenders that offer streamlined refinances in the future shouldn't be required to consider the borrower's income or employment status, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. The trade group's comments were part of its response to a request for information on mortgage products that would support the financial stability of households.

However, a tiered pricing system will limit an inflation-driven increase to under 10% for a small group of originators.

"This is Han Solo in carbonite: This is a market that could stay frozen for quite some time," said Benjamin Keys, a real estate professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School.

Nonbanks will probably see the least change, while securitization lenders, depositories and REITs are likely to experience the most, an Urban Land Institute survey suggests.

The change, effective Dec. 21, is being put into place two years after it was first proposed.