A massive influx of investor demand for business-purpose loans has prompted lenders to loosen underwriting standards for the asset class.

The correspondent channel accounted for 19.3% of nonconforming originations in the first quarter of 2026, up from 16.7% in the previous three-month period. (Includes two data tables.)

Poor quality appraisals and weak due diligence controls are leading to growing concern about appraisal values for non-QMs.

More extensive rehab projects and growing investor demand have pushed some lenders to consider getting more lenient with some standards for residential transition loans.

The annual adjustment that FHFA makes to conforming loan limits presents opportunities and challenges for jumbo lenders, according to new research.

An estimated $94.00 billion of adjustable-rate mortgages were originated in the fourth quarter, up 20.5% from the third quarter. For the full year, volume shot up 44.7% to an estimated $298.00 billion. (Includes data table.)

Production of adjustable-rate mortgages increased almost across the board in the second quarter of 2025. As usual, banks led the charge. (Includes data table.)

An evolving regulatory environment under the Trump administration has created new interest in mortgages backed by cryptocurrency like Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Retail lending among lenders in the analysis declined sharply during the first quarter while the correspondent and broker channels posted more modest declines in nonconforming production. (Includes two data tables.)

ARMs accounted for 12.1% of total residential mortgage originations in the first quarter of 2025, down more than a full percentage point compared with the previous quarter. Still, production of the loans was up from the first quarter of 2024. (Includes data table.)