Issuance of Ginnie Mae mortgage-backed securities increased by 3.5% on a monthly basis in January.

Fannie projects that the average interest rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage will hold at 6.1% in the second quarter before declining to 6.0% in the third quarter and then remain at that level through the end of 2027.

Mixed readings on home starts, sales and prices in January.

“Builders reduced their expectations for future sales as buyers report affordability challenges, which is contributing to declining consumer confidence for the overall economy,” said Buddy Hughes, chair of the National Association of Home Builders.

MFA Financial's net income in the fourth quarter increased 12.9% from the quarter prior.

Union Home Mortgage hired a national vice president of mergers and acquisitions.

The increase in issuance occurred across several categories, including a 79.2% surge in volume tied to loans eligible for sale to the government-sponsored enterprises.

Some 29% of home purchases in December were all-cash transactions, according to Redfin.

For the full year, refis accounted for 30.1% of total first-lien mortgage originations, up from a 21.5% share in 2024.

David Spector, CEO of Pennymac Financial Services, said the firm’s correspondent aggregation platform is facing increasing competition from the GSEs’ cash window.