Fannie joins Freddie in accepting attorney title opinion letters instead of title insurance. Industry observers said the new option will mostly impact refinances, not purchases.

Despite coming in the wake of a handful of senior executive departures, the resignations look like normal attrition.

Experts continue to debate how and when FHA should implement insurance premium reductions. Also, last week, Julia Gordon’s nomination to head FHA advanced in the Senate.

So far, among public companies, Mr. Cooper CEO Jay Bray was the top mortgage earner in 2021 but many lenders have yet to file proxy statements. Meanwhile, MBA trimmed its production forecast.

The refinance sector took the biggest hit in the agency market during the first quarter of 2022, though it still accounted for just over half of the loans sold to Fannie, Freddie and Ginnie. (Includes two data charts.)

Another blockbuster year for servicing sales? If the first quarter is any indication, the answer is yes. The key determinant: interest rates.

Although Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are animals of the secondary market, the FHFA director said they have programs that can increase the amount of housing available.

With home-equity lending suppressed due to tight underwriting standards, nonbanks are finding some success in equity-sharing agreements. The risk: The products may be classified as loans.

When the going gets tough in mortgages, the tough retire. Then again, they can afford to, having made so much money the past two years. But who might replace all those graying CEOs?

Compliance experts are advising mortgage lenders to not let their loan officers get overly creative in their search for new business.