Once a “flexibility” intended to help lenders deal with the pandemic, the desktop appraisal is about to become a permanent fixture of Freddie’s Loan Advisor and Fannie’s Desktop Underwriter.

While rising interest rates will dry up the pool of borrowers eligible for refinancing, there are still consumers who can lower their costs. Freddie Mac expects cash-outs to take up a larger share of refis in the short term.

Early reporters of fourth-quarter results are giving the mortgage industry a glimpse of what’s to come for everyone else: weak or negative origination growth. Message: The party can’t last forever.

It’s not easy to bring multi-state enforcement actions, yet regulators from 44 states signed consent orders with 441 loan officers who lied about having completed required annual continuing education courses.

The Biden administration and Congress need to address some major risks to the housing-finance system, according to the Government Accountability Office. The administration is still developing plans and there’s little urgency in Congress.

Hunting for new sources of revenue, several regional banks are planning to offer credit lines to nonbank mortgage shops. The collateral: MSRs.

Fed economists calculate the impact the new accounting standard had on bank lending during the COVID-19 emergency.

It should be a banner year for mergers and acquisitions in the residential finance space. Already, two deals have been announced, with more likely to follow.

loanDepot’s founder is busy buying luxury homes these days. In a few weeks we’ll know how well the company did in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, non-agency MBS production remains brisk.

Loan-level price adjustments charged by the government-sponsored enterprises for loans in high-cost areas and for second-home mortgages are set to increase this spring.