Nonbanks remained the driving force in first-lien originations, accounting for 68.4% of aggregate production by the top 100 lenders. (Includes two data charts.)

Faced with a not-so-welcoming IPO market earlier this year, AmeriHome and Caliber Home Loans did the next best thing: The two public-bound nonbanks found willing buyers to pay a decent price. Should Better.com do the same?

Federal regulators provided status updates on several current and pending mortgage-related rulemaking initiatives. But revisions to the qualified-mortgage standards were missing from the CFPB’s agenda.

Free-form text fields in appraisal documents frequently contain property descriptions that may violate fair lending laws.

Better.com’s dream of becoming a public company is on shaky ground these days. Events of the past week include a large layoff conducted over Zoom and the CEO apologizing after making disparaging remarks about those he cut.

Freddie Mac will implement a higher income threshold for its Refi Possible product for low-income borrowers beginning Jan. 31.

Most top lenders reported rising purchase-mortgage business and declining refinance activity in the third quarter. Private MIs lost a little ground in the first-time buyer market. (Includes five data charts.)

The unprecedented increase has FHFA leadership thinking about the relationship between the conforming loan limits and home price appreciation.

The mortgage production cycle is starting to turn, so that means a reduction in headcount. But based on third-quarter results from a handful of public shops, the trimming has been light thus far. (Includes data chart.)

Some non-agency lenders are sticking with the older QM standards due to concerns about liability tied to income and employment verification requirements under the newer, more lenient QM standards.