Mortgage servicers have been putting in the hours to prepare for FHA’s expedited rollout of its new loss-mitigation waterfall beginning next month.

Government-insured lending increased by 17.3% during the second quarter, lifted by purchase mortgages. (Includes three data tables.)

The volume of government-insured loans originated through the correspondent channel increased 10.6% on a quarterly basis in the first quarter, while retail and broker originations shrank. (Includes data table.)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Housing Service is considering subsidizing a portion of its guaranteed home loans.

Veterans United Home Loans saw a sharp decline in correspondent sales of government-backed loans in 2024, while volume at Guild Mortgage and Rate surged. (Includes data table.)

HECM lending increased by 5.3% on a quarterly basis in the fourth quarter of 2024. But for the full year, endorsements declined, with a downturn in production in four major states. (Includes three data tables.)

The quality control processes of two FHA lenders affected review sample sizes, risk evaluations and reviews of loans that experience early payment defaults.

FHA-to-FHA refis increased by nearly 70% in the fourth quarter while purchase mortgage volume slid 12.4%. United Wholesale Mortgage remained the largest FHA lender in 2024.

In the fourth quarter of 2024, correspondent aggregators regained FHA/VA market share previously lost to wholesale-brokers.

Sharp staff cuts at FHA, VA and Ginnie Mae could lead to major problems for mortgage lenders and borrowers, according to analysts. But for now it appears to be business as usual for originations and servicing.