UWM was the top originator of purchase loans for the first nine months of 2023, while Rocket held the lead in refinance lending. The FHA saw a rising share of purchase loans sold to the agencies in the third quarter. (Includes four data tables.)

The baseline loan limit for one-unit properties will be $766,550 next year. Home prices are projected to continue to rise in 2024 but the rate of growth is open to debate.

These are humbling times for warehouse firms that finance nonbanks. Commitments are down overall, as are usage rates. Also, it appears that Truist is having second thoughts about lending money to smaller nonbanks. (Includes data table.)

Wholesale mortgages accounted for nearly 20% of Citizens Bank’s originations this year. The bank joins many others that have fled the sector following 2008.

With the prospect of a Fannie Mae title insurance pilot apparently off the table, critics turn their focus to attorney opinion letters.

Freedom Mortgage’s Allen Middleman has been named chair of the National Association of Mortgage Brokers’ inaugural board of governors that will advise the group on opportunities regarding outreach programs and policy issues.

Faster, better analysis of credit data means Fannie Mae can reduce some of the barriers to homeownership in “missing middle” housing.

Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Sandra Thompson wants closer collaboration among the FHLBanks, the Federal Reserve and FDIC.

The MBA and others are pushing for federal regulators to go back to the drawing board on capital requirements for large banks. The regulators state that they will be flexible but defend the proposal.

When interest rates were low, escrow accounts were an afterthought in terms of MSR values. Now that interest rates are elevated, banks are seeing strong earnings from funds held in escrow accounts.