The origination boom had to end sometime, but don’t reach for the hankies quite yet. Applications remain strong and no one’s going out of business, or so we’re told.

Fannie and Freddie have provided lenders with some flexibilities on construction-related loans. Also, they will pause acquisitions of refinances of mortgages with high loan-to-value ratios.

Besides overseeing HUD and keeping tabs on FHA and Ginnie Mae, Marcia Fudge has a new task: managing the White House’s latest initiative on appraisal inequities.

Applications are down but not dramatically so. Also, UWM’s CEO sees opportunities in the M&A binge, namely the ability to recruit some top-flight talent who might be left without a home.

Correspondent volume was unchanged from the fourth quarter, although a handful of companies grew their shares of the channel and others pulled back. (Includes six data charts.)

Michael DeVito, former head of home lending at Wells Fargo, will take the helm at Freddie Mac.

Minority homeowners are much more likely to have significant savings if they refinance, but they’re much less likely to actually get a refi.

Fannie Mae is feeling slightly more bullish on the origination picture for 2021. Also: Are lenders ready to chop heads?

The conventional-conforming sector still dominated first-lien originations, accounting for 73% of the market in early 2021. But jumbo posted the biggest gain from the fourth quarter. (Includes two data charts.)

Margins on originations through the wholesale channel are plummeting, with market leader UWM trying to squeeze competitors. Third-ranked Home Point was operating at breakeven levels in April.