The private market is providing adequate liquidity for closed-end second liens, according to the American Bankers Association. The trade group also questioned Freddie Mac’s motivations for a proposal to acquire seconds.

Economists pick through the mortgage data to try to understand when things will get better for the industry.

The Financial Stability Oversight Council wants Congress to provide FHFA and Ginnie Mae authority to supervise nonbanks given their growing dominance of the mortgage servicing market.

Some see Freddie Mac’s proposal to acquire second liens as a way to boost originations of the products. Others suggest that GSE involvement in the sector will have minimal impact as demand from borrowers appears to be limited.

A proposal from the Urban Institute calls for a revamp of the refi process to make it more equitable for lower-income borrowers and borrowers of color.

The guidelines lay out the process lenders must develop for borrowers to request an appraisal reassessment when they believe a valuation was inaccurate or biased.

Changes in loan characteristics for new acquisitions and new capital requirements combined to reduce the “profitability gap” for GSE business in 2022.

Even though the mortgage market continued to struggle, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac generated healthy profits in the first quarter of 2023 thanks to their business models.

Lenders argue that dramatic price hikes by FICO have inflated their credit score costs by as much as 500% since 2022.

The current loss-mitigation waterfall has dramatically reduced foreclosure liquidations, suggesting lenders could make more loans to riskier borrowers without increasing expected losses.