The refinance share of VA loan endorsements shrank in the third quarter, despite falling interest rates. (Includes two data tables.)

Joseph Gormley and Frank Cassidy, the individuals nominated to lead Ginnie Mae and FHA, respectively, maintained support for actions taken by the agencies this year in responses to the committee.

The continuing appropriations law included some edits to the partial claim loss-mitigation program under development for VA mortgages.

The U.S. Mortgage Insurers argued the FHA Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund is vulnerable to a severe economic downturn, and suggested it be held to the same standards as the government-sponsored enterprises.

A lawmaker hinted recently that there’s consideration of moving the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Housing Service under the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s control, but any move appears to be at a conceptual stage.

FHA waived a policy that required lenders to provide notices to borrowers about various protections, a move the agency said would lighten some of the burden on lenders.

PHH Mortgage agreed to sell servicing rights for HECMs to Finance of America as part of a broader revamp of its strategy.

Former FHA commissioner lands at FDIC; FHA foreclosures rise; MISMO releases government-lending dataset; USDA lowers PITI ratio.

Issuers produced $47.87 billion of new Ginnie Mae single-family MBS in October, the highest monthly volume so far this year. Refis accounted for 31.9% of the new issuance. (Includes two data tables.)

As delinquencies and foreclosures rise, more homeowners using FHA- and Department of Veterans Affairs-backed mortgage loans hold negative equity positions.