The chief innovation officer at United Wholesale Mortgage testified at a hearing in Congress this week on housing affordability. Senators at the hearing largely focused on issues outside of the mortgage market.

A Fannie Mae index that measures housing sentiment declined on an annual basis in February, marking the first annual decline in housing sentiment since 2023.

The Ginnie Mae market continued to retreat in February. Most securitizers lost volume and PennyMac retained its top spot despite a 29.4% decline in issuance volume. (Includes two data tables.)

According to researchers at the Urban Institute, refi programs at FHA and VA are detrimental to both borrowers and investors.

Jumbo originations increased by more than double digits from the third to the fourth quarter of 2024. On an annual basis, the jumbo share of total originations held steady. (Includes data table.)

Insurance companies are using whole-loan purchases to better define the credit box for originations.

The total amount of nonprime servicing handled by a group of 20 specialists rose 2.2% from the end of the third quarter to the end of 2024. (Includes data table.)

Debt service coverage ratios are moving close to 1.0 but performance remains strong due to tight underwriting of borrowers.

Increased securitization issuance in the fourth quarter helped fuel profits for Ellington Financial.

New ratings methodology and additional historical data on home equity investments should boost investor demand for the product in 2025.