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Purchase-Mortgage and Refi Volume Diverge in Second Quarter
August 21, 2026
“Affordability deteriorated as mortgage rates moved higher through May and June,” said Varun Krishna, CEO of Rocket Companies.
Losses Increase at Homebuilder Hovnanian Enterprises
August 21, 2026
To help increase earnings, the homebuilder is shifting its focus to higher-priced homes.
Insurance Companies Add to Whole-Loan Mortgage Holdings
August 21, 2026
Residential whole-loan assets are becoming more popular among insurance companies because they are willing to accept the operational complexity that comes with investments in the space.
New Listings for Homes Up, Asking Price Slips
August 21, 2026
"More sellers are entering the market partly because some of them have come to terms with today's somewhat slow housing market; they are accepting that they may need to sell for a slightly lower price than they want, and it may take them slightly longer to do so," Redfin said.

Commercial MBS
Non-Agency Pushes CMBS Issuance Up Slightly in 2Q
A record $11.35 billion of industrial-property mortgages were securitized in non-agency CMBS during the second quarter. Office properties and multifamily also saw big gains, while agency multifamily MBS production faltered. (Includes two data tables.)
Mortgage Insurance
PMIs Gain Purchase Share, Refinance Share Slips
Primary mortgage insurance activity was up 17% in the second quarter after a slow start to the year, with private insurers claiming more of the purchase market but losing share in refinances. (Includes four data tables.)
Government-Insured Servicing
FHA Loss-Mitigation Removals Spike in 2Q
The amount of FHA loans removed from Ginnie Mae securities for loss-mitigation purposes more than doubled from the first to the second quarter. Overall, repurchases from the Ginnie program declined slightly. (Includes two data charts.)
Issuance
Prime Non-Agency MBS Issuance Drops in 2Q
Issuance of prime non-agency mortgage-backed securities cooled off somewhat in the second quarter of 2026, but remained elevated on an annual basis. (Includes three data tables.)
Issuance
Agency MBS Issuance Sags in July as Refi Market Fades
At the end of July, the agency purchase-mortgage market was just barely ahead of the pace for the first seven months of 2025, but refinance business has doubled. (Includes two data tables.)
Servicing
Rocket, Chase Give Up Some Servicing Share in 2Q
Rocket was one of the largest sellers of agency mortgage servicing rights during the second quarter and the only nonbank to post a decline in owned servicing among the top-10 firms. Chase’s decline in owned servicing looks to be tied to portfolio runoff. (Includes three data tables.)

Inside Mortgage Finance

Refis Trail Off in 2Q, Purchase Lending Slightly Ahead of 2025
Refi volume declined by 32.7% from the first quarter to the second but nearly doubled year to date. Meanwhile, purchase-mortgage originations increased by just 4.7% year to date. (Includes five data tables.)
UWM, Two Harbors Lawsuit Highlights Role of Trust in M&A
UWM accused Two Harbors executives of subversion, inaction and lies to stop its planned acquisition of the real estate investment trust.
- Delinquencies Increase at Large Servicers in Second Quarter
- Lenders Back FHFA Proposal to Adjust SCP
More Inside Mortgage Finance

Inside MBS & ABS

Fitch Retains Top Ranking in MBS & ABS Ratings in 2Q
August 20, 2026
Morningstar DBRS and Moody’s gained share in non-agency MBS ratings in the second quarter, while S&P made up ground in the ABS market. Fitch, however, remained the top rating service in both sectors. (Includes two data charts.)
Securitization of Home Equity Loans Cools
August 20, 2026
Even when excluding a large issuance in the first quarter of seasoned closed-end second liens, securitizations of home equity loans declined on a quarterly basis in the second quarter. (Includes three data files.)
Egan-Jones Still Working on Approval for ABS Ratings
August 20, 2026
Off and on since 2013, Egan-Jones Ratings Company has sought certification from the SEC for ratings of ABS. Last week, the SEC denied the latest application from the rating service.
Residential Whole Loans Remain Attractive Option for Insurers
August 20, 2026
Insurance companies continue to grow their residential whole-loan portfolios as they look to diversify investments.

More Inside MBS & ABS

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Inside Nonconforming Markets

Chase Non-Agency RMBS Servicing Rebounds in 2Q
August 14, 2026
JPMorgan Chase was the only servicer among the top five that handled new servicing on non-agency mortgage-backed securities to post a quarterly increase during the second quarter. (Includes data table.)
HomeXpress Boosts Profits, Increases Originations
August 14, 2026
HomeXpress Mortgage originated $1.1 billion of loans during the second quarter of 2026 and posted a profit of $8.7 million.
Genesis, Lima One Increase RTL Originations in 2Q
August 14, 2026
The residential transition loan units of Newrez and MFA Financial generated solid growth during the second quarter.
Fraud Risk Elevated for Non-QMs as Sector Expands
August 14, 2026
An industry attorney suggested safeguards warehouse lenders and non-qualified mortgage originators should take to protect themselves from fraud.

More Inside Nonconforming Markets

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Inside Mortgage Trends

Bank Mortgage Earnings Tick Up in Second Quarter
August 7, 2026
A group of 26 banks increased their mortgage earnings by 3.8% on a quarterly basis during the second quarter. Six months into the year, earnings were down 1.0% compared with the first half of 2025, with interest rates weighing on production. (Includes two data tables.)
Retail Gains Share in 2Q26 Agency Securitizations
August 7, 2026
The retail channel gained market share in second-quarter agency securitizations as purchase mortgages rose sharply. Credit quality deteriorated slightly. (Includes data table.)
ICE Sees Strong Mortgage Earnings in Second Quarter
August 7, 2026
In the second quarter of 2026, Intercontinental Exchange generated its best earnings from its mortgage technology segment since 2022. ICE is optimistic that its AI tools will drive future revenue.
Zillow Charts Expansion of Mortgage Business
August 7, 2026
Zillow Home Loans originated $2.2 billion of mortgages in the second quarter of 2026, nearly double its originations from the same quarter last year.

More Inside Mortgage Trends

Inside FHA/VA Lending

Slowing Refis Drag on Ginnie Issuance in July
Issuance of Ginnie Mae mortgage-backed securities eased in July as securitizations of refinances dropped. (Includes two data tables.)
Pennymac, Vendor Move Quickly on VA Loss-Mit
The nonbank servicer and a tech vendor separately implemented VA’s partial claim loss-mitigation option well in advance of VA’s deadline.
VA Averts Legal Foreclosure Risks From Partial Claims
The agency sought to address the legal risks servicers face when foreclosing on a home in which the VA has a partial claim interest.
FHA Continues Testing Updated Appraisal Forms
FHA is testing the Uniform Appraisal Dataset 3.6 among a select group of lenders, as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac lenders face a mandatory implementation date.

More Inside FHA/VA Lending

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Inside Mortgage Trends
Bank Mortgage Earnings Tick Up in Second Quarter
A group of 26 banks increased their mortgage earnings by 3.8% on a quarterly basis during the second quarter. Six months into the year, earnings were down 1.0% compared with the first half of 2025, with interest rates weighing on production. (Includes two data tables.)
Inside Mortgage Finance
Refis Trail Off in 2Q, Purchase Lending Slightly Ahead of 2025
Refi volume declined by 32.7% from the first quarter to the second but nearly doubled year to date. Meanwhile, purchase-mortgage originations increased by just 4.7% year to date. (Includes five data tables.)
Inside Nonconforming Markets
Chase Non-Agency RMBS Servicing Rebounds in 2Q
JPMorgan Chase was the only servicer among the top five that handled new servicing on non-agency mortgage-backed securities to post a quarterly increase during the second quarter. (Includes data table.)
Inside MBS & ABS
Fitch Retains Top Ranking in MBS & ABS Ratings in 2Q
Morningstar DBRS and Moody’s gained share in non-agency MBS ratings in the second quarter, while S&P made up ground in the ABS market. Fitch, however, remained the top rating service in both sectors. (Includes two data charts.)
Inside the CFPB
Vehicle Loan Complaints to CFPB Drop in Second Quarter
Consumer complaints filed with the CFPB about lending services declined across all categories except for mortgages during the second quarter of 2026. (Includes two data tables.)
Inside The GSEs
GSEs Deliver Consistent Profits; No Closer to Solvency
Combined net interest income at the GSEs has averaged $12.94 billion per quarter over the past year. And since the beginning of 2022, combined net income hasn’t dipped below $11.29 billion. (Includes data table.)
Inside FHA/VA Lending
Slowing Refis Drag on Ginnie Issuance in July
Issuance of Ginnie Mae mortgage-backed securities eased in July as securitizations of refinances dropped. (Includes two data tables.)

Inside The GSEs

GSEs Deliver Consistent Profits; No Closer to Solvency
Combined net interest income at the GSEs has averaged $12.94 billion per quarter over the past year. And since the beginning of 2022, combined net income hasn’t dipped below $11.29 billion. (Includes data table.)
Housing Sector Split on Duty-to-Serve Proposal
Industry trade groups are pushing for optimized investment tools, community bankers are warning against systemic risk and housing advocates believe the proposal will allow the GSEs to abandon the nation’s neediest populations.
More Inside The GSEs

As homeowner equity continues to build, more and more lenders are launching home equity lending products. Are you thinking of joining this market?