Researchers with the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia found a much higher share of mortgages for investment properties than would otherwise be indicated from the occupancy status stated on loan applications.

The Mortgage Industry Standards Maintenance Organization has introduced an application date decision model and white paper on how lenders can combine standardized terms and decision modeling techniques to help ensure compliance with TRID.

Except for credit scores, traditional underwriting criteria are relatively poor predictors of homeownership longevity for first-time borrowers.

Applications stumbled in early February; rate locks increased in January; consulting firm opposes ICE’s planned acquisition of Black Knight; FHA ditches paper filing; Black Knight adds eNote and eVault tech.

It's bad enough MBS investors have to forecast rate moves by the Fed. Now they have to interpolate concerns about debt ceiling game-playing in Congress.

Still no sign of Republican activity on the housing finance front, despite their new majority in the House.

While the GSEs are under mandates to shrink their retained portfolios, Freddie’s holdings increased in the final three months of 2022. (Includes data chart.)

Redwood Trust isn’t planning to ramp up acquisitions and sales of prime non-agency mortgages in the near term due to elevated interest rates and strong competition from banks for jumbos.

Companies looking for financing that previously haven’t tapped the ABS market are seeing ABS issuance as an option due to changes in the broader financial market.

The MBS and ABS markets would experience significant volatility if the federal government doesn’t increase its debt limit. Uncertainty on the outcome is already prompting conservative moves among major investors.