Fannie and Freddie will no longer require that lenders ask homebuyers for their preferred language during the mortgage application process.

Limited housing supply hurt lenders’ efficiency metrics in 2018, according to a benchmarking study by Mortgage Cadence. The average time to close a mortgage increased sharply and pull-through rates declined.

Borrowers in completely rural areas were more likely to pay higher interest rates and walk away unhappy with their mortgages, according to a new study from the government-run National Mortgage Database.

New Residential is increasing its emphasis on ancillary services. The REIT also announced a $200 million stock repurchase program.

Seven publicly held nonbanks reported a combined loss of $47.8 million on their mortgage banking operations in the second quarter as interest rate volatility hammered their servicing books.

Originations are booming but the government’s latest reading on mortgage employment wasn’t exactly encouraging. Still, interviews conducted by Inside Mortgage Trends reveal that many shops are looking to hire.

TD Bank was the top volume gainer among residential lenders in the second quarter but barely made the top 50 volume ranking in the first half of the year. Moral of story: the bigger you are, the harder it is to post huge percentage gains.

Borrowers are increasingly using self-service options offered by servicers, leaving only the more complex tasks for call center agents to handle.

The increase in land values is causing home prices to spike across the country, making housing less affordable. Median price per acre of land used for single-family housing increased by 27% from 2012 through 2017.

Who says the stock market isn't receptive to mortgage companies these days? Don't tell that to New Rez and Sachem. Meanwhile, the MSR bulk auction market is springing to life once again.