Retail lending by depository institutions' mortgage-banking operations fell in the third quarter, but a major acquisition by one bank pushed other indicators higher.

UI researchers suggest policymakers ensure public investments are equitably distributed across communities because increasing minority homeownership alone won’t be enough to close the gap in housing wealth.

Post-purchase reviews show an uptick in loans with key defects, especially for self-employed borrowers.

Although serious-delinquency rates declined at Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae, the agencies reported a sizable increase in 30-day late payments during the third quarter. (Includes data chart.)

Given the home price spike seen in the past 18 months, many distressed borrowers have enough equity to sell their homes rather than face foreclosure. Still, previous practices suggest that a notable share of borrowers with strong equity positions will go through foreclosure.

The mortgage industry is under increasing pressure to enhance disclosures related to climate change but is facing challenges in determining common measurements and risk models, according to a new report.

HMDA data show that minorities face notably higher denial rates than white borrowers, and more so if the mortgage is underwritten manually. (Includes data chart.)

While Fannie and Freddie refi business fell sharply in the second quarter, there were significant increases in loans with low credit scores. Meanwhile, the fastest growing sectors of the GSE purchase market had higher LTV ratios. (Includes two data charts.)

The regulator released additional data collected from the survey of 5% of new mortgage borrowers each quarter. The data covers originations through the third quarter of 2020.

Although seller buybacks from Fannie/Freddie MBS trusts rose sharply in the first quarter, they still account for a miniscule share of total GSE business.