The stock market is volatile and interest rates are rising. Dozens of mortgage company owners are pondering their options.

Origination giant Rocket is purchasing servicing behemoth Mr. Cooper at a premium. The biggest risk for Rocket is that mortgage rates might finally decline markedly in the coming quarters. Or is that an advantage?

Is Onity Group eyeing a sale? Perhaps. And why not? Servicing values are approaching a 25-year high.

One bidder recently agreed to pay north of 6.25 times the servicing fee for a high dollar volume of agency MSR. Sound crazy? Maybe, but servicing prices are at a 25-year high for low-coupon product.

Rocket Mortgage believes the $1.75 billion acquisition will boost its purchase origination volume and lower the cost of customer acquisitions. It will also add new data to Rocket’s artificial intelligence algorithm.

Mortgage applications increase, led by refinances; three M&A transactions involving lenders/branches; home price appreciation trends.

Rate is contemplating selling its title unit, a move that comes amid some states capping how much coverage providers can charge consumers. Meanwhile, the nonbank is selling MSRs on a regular basis.

UWM is pondering sales of $52 billion of product. Will other sellers follow suit or maybe opt for a bank-financing transaction?

WaFd Bank is ending its mortgage origination activity; TD Bank is considering selling jumbo mortgages; some banks are still increasing their mortgage business; President Trump issues order on housing, freezes regulatory efforts.

In 2025, servicing sales should remain hot, but franchise deals involving the transfer of “whole” companies will likely be few and far between.