But does the bill have the numbers to pass the Senate? Investment banking firm Cowen and Company believes moderate Democratic lawmakers would present an obstacle.

Tomo was founded by two former Zillow executives with a sole focus on purchase mortgages. Meanwhile, three-year-old Lower recently completed a $100 million Series A funding round.

A few more mortgage IPOs could hit the stock roulette wheel by yearend. The reason: another potential reprieve on rates.

One lender says that when refinances go bust, the industry can’t expect to waltz into the purchase market without there being casualties. Others are more sanguine.

Sterling Bancorp recently reached a $12.5 million settlement for allegedly violating the Securities Act. The company is now ready to turn the page on its non-agency past.

If new policies that incentivize homeownership are not implemented, the Hispanic community will be the only ethnic group to experience an ownership gain.

Rates are rising and that means fewer applications. Yet, mortgage bankers and brokers are still hiring.

There are signs that the “adverse market refinance fee” is pushing some business away from Fannie and Freddie toward government mortgage insurance programs. (Includes two data charts.)

Income accounts for 80% of the valuation gap between homes owned by whites and minorities, while 20% can be attributed to current or past racial bias, according to the American Enterprise Institute.

The company, which buys and sells homes directly, cautioned that it may not have sufficient cash flow from its businesses to pay down its substantial debt.