CFPB raises concerns about algorithms in the mortgage industry; share of borrowers buying points increased in 2022; recession coming, though home prices won’t go down as much as initially expected.

U.S. Bank surpassed JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo in terms of mortgage originations in the first quarter of 2023. Profit margins also seem to be improving.

In what appears to be a response to recent bank failures, Freddie has said servicers are responsible for any losses out of custodial accounts if a depository goes bankrupt.

FHA said the amount of rental income from the accessory dwelling unit used to determine income may not exceed 30% of the total income used to qualify the borrower.

The earlier-than-expected end of the COVID national emergency has brought additional regulatory pressure on mortgage servicers.

2022 was a tough year for lenders, servicers and others who make their living off of residential mortgages, which usually means lower pay for senior staff. But a review of early proxy filers revealed a few CEOs got nice raises.

Mortgage industry participants said Fannie should make public a list of condo projects that are ineligible for sale to the enterprise. Fannie said lenders have other financing outlets, including holding the loans in portfolio.

Technical problems for lenders have forced the GSEs to slow the transition to the Uniform Closing Datasets.

Rising interest rates limit demand for mortgages; home prices increase; few borrowers remain in forbearance; foreclosure activity up slightly.

Based on recently released HMDA data, first-lien originations in 2022 totaled an estimated $2.325 trillion, down 47.6% from the previous year. (Includes two data charts.)