The White House’s broadly phrased proposal to make Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac private corporations again and make explicit the government’s guarantee of their mortgage-backed securities caught industry observers by surprise.

The government-sponsored enterprises recently intensified efforts to help borrowers in rural areas qualify for a mortgage as part of their “duty-to-serve” markets where credit is scarce. Freddie Mac launched an employment program in high-needs regions and Fannie Mae has a new program targeting owners of manufactured homes.

Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson this week reiterated concerns about riskier FHA loans that could endanger the health of the program’s Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund.

Second-ranked JPMorgan Chase reported a hefty 48.3 percent decline in mortgage sales.

“There is potential for them to issue more guidance, and we hope it to be the right guidance that’s consistent with 40 years of the RESPA law,” said Kenneth Trepeta…

Some warehouse lenders are nervous about the VA ‘orphan loan’ mess as well, sources told Inside Mortgage Finance…

LoanStar was founded five years ago by industry veteran Mike Baldwin…

The figures show that compared to the first quarter of 2017, both JPM and Wells greatly reduced their FHLB borrowings…

FHA may soon have a new condo lending rule, but one lobbyist called it "four years too late..."

Virtually all of the repurchase activity is now focused on newer production.