Short Takes: Lending Up on Annual Basis at BofA / Strong Start Until Iran War / Egan-Jones Hires Structured Finance Lead April 15, 2026 Brandon Ivey BofA's originations of first mortgages increased by 42.7% on an annual basis in the first quarter of 2026.Read More
Originations Up on Annual Basis in 1Q at Chase, Wells April 14, 2026 Brandon Ivey Both JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo increased their mortgage originations by more than 40% on an annual basis in the first quarter of 2026.Read More
Trump Admin Plans to Constrain Home Price Appreciation April 14, 2026 Brandon Ivey To limit home price appreciation, the administration is working to sharply increase the supply of homes for sale, particularly newly built homes.Read More
Sales of Existing Homes Decline in March April 14, 2026 Brandon Ivey “Lower consumer confidence and softer job growth continue to hold back buyers,” said Lawrence Yun, chief economist at NAR.Read More
Short Takes: Mortgage Demand Shifts in March / Applications Tied to New Homes Jump in March / Chase Brings Large HELOC Securitization / LOs Not Top Source of Advice April 14, 2026 Brandon Ivey Locks for conforming mortgages lost market share to FHA loans and nonconforming mortgages in March, according to Optimal Blue.Read More
Impact of GSE Loan Limit Increases Varies by County April 10, 2026 Brandon Ivey The annual adjustment that FHFA makes to conforming loan limits presents opportunities and challenges for jumbo lenders, according to new research.Read More
Agency Purchase-Mortgage Business Holds Steady in Early 2026 April 10, 2026 Brandon Ivey Purchase-mortgage volume in agency MBS issued in the first quarter of 2026 was essentially flat compared with the first quarter of 2025.Read More
Locks for Purchase Mortgages Increase in March April 10, 2026 Brandon Ivey Locks for purchase mortgages increased by 22.9% on a monthly basis in March, according to Mortgage Capital Trading.Read More
Short Takes: Interest Rates Decline / NewFi Fills Non-Agency MBS / ‘Sweet Spot’ for Buydowns April 10, 2026 Brandon Ivey The average interest rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage fell to 6.37% as of Thursday, down from 6.46% the week prior, according to Freddie Mac.Read More
Egan-Jones Ratings Faces SEC Scrutiny on Expansion April 9, 2026 Brandon Ivey The SEC is seeking more information from Egan-Jones Ratings on its application for authority to rate ABS and government securities.Read More