Special attorney at DOJ to examine allegations of mortgage fraud; Trump nominates chairman of Council of Economic Advisors for position at Fed; impact of slowdown in home price appreciation.

FICO CEO William Lansing argued that, by allowing lenders to pick between Classic FICO and VantageScore 4.0, FHFA may be creating a race to the bottom when it comes to the quality of credit scores.

Leaders at big lenders believe the spring homebuying season will continue through the summer, thanks to the shift to a buyers’ market. Real estate companies are less optimistic, citing “punishing” interest rates.

Merger discussions between Rocket Companies and Mr. Cooper Group started in October 2024. The transaction was announced in March only after Rocket made several revisions to its initial offer.

Acra, a top player in the non-qualified mortgage market, has a new CEO, Shawn Stone.

Mortgage hiring moved forward in June but not by much amid uncertainty on the outlook for interest rates.

Increasing home insurance premiums have caused delays in mortgage closings, according to Matic, an insurance carrier.

Some $324 million in congressionally appropriated funding for the CDFI Fund has yet to be released by the Trump administration.

The bill is now headed to President Trump’s desk; Frank Cassidy nominated for FHA commissioner.

The Mortgage Bankers Association and other groups supported the wide-ranging bill which is aimed at housing affordability. MBA, though, raised some concerns about appraisal reforms included in the package.