Participants in the housing market addressed the House Committee on Financial Services this week, broadly seeking deregulatory measures they said would cure the affordability crisis.

The changes also allow VA to charge default-related fees under the partial claim, among other adjustments.

Purchase-mortgage endorsements accounted for 71.6% of volume, the highest level seen since the second quarter of 2024.

Sen. Tina Smith, D-MN, discussed the matter this month during the testimony of Glen Smith, USDA nominee for Rural Development under secretary.

The refinance share of VA loan endorsements shrank in the third quarter, despite falling interest rates. (Includes two data tables.)

Joseph Gormley and Frank Cassidy, the individuals nominated to lead Ginnie Mae and FHA, respectively, maintained support for actions taken by the agencies this year in responses to the committee.

The continuing appropriations law included some edits to the partial claim loss-mitigation program under development for VA mortgages.

The U.S. Mortgage Insurers argued the FHA Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund is vulnerable to a severe economic downturn, and suggested it be held to the same standards as the government-sponsored enterprises.

A lawmaker hinted recently that there’s consideration of moving the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Housing Service under the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s control, but any move appears to be at a conceptual stage.

FHA waived a policy that required lenders to provide notices to borrowers about various protections, a move the agency said would lighten some of the burden on lenders.