Homebuilders with lending units continue to prop up home sales by offering mortgage buydowns. The tactic cuts into homebuilders’ margins but many company officials prefer lower margins rather than unsold inventory.

MISMO is out with five proposals, including a tool to simplify standards adoption. Other new features include tech for credit modernization, appraisals and housing counseling.

Government-insured lending and nonconforming mortgages took share from the conventional-conforming market in 2024.

The swing in earnings was tied to the value of mortgage servicing rights, among other factors.

The rebrand included an ad during the Super Bowl.

Demand for MBS/ABS remains high, helped by interest rate trends. But President Trump is a wildcard, prompting some caution among investors.

Prices for autos and other vehicles are expected to increase due to tariffs set by the Trump administration. That will likely lead to worse performance for securitizations, according to Moody’s Ratings.

SFA and ICE developing securitization index; securitization involving professional sports on the horizon; rating services comfortable with Trimont acquiring Wells Fargo’s third-party commercial mortgage servicing business; deal structuring tool from dv01.

The conventional-conforming share of first-lien originations declined from 59.2% in 2023 to 56.5% in 2024. Both government-insured products and nonconforming loans gained share. (Includes two data tables.)

Economists caution that forecasts for interest rates on mortgages come with more uncertainty than usual due to Trump administration policies on tariffs and other issues.