Description+goes+here https://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/rss en-us jdohnert@imfpubs.com Zillow Home Loans originated $2.2 billion of mortgages in the second quarter of 2026, nearly double its originations from the same quarter last year. http://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/238209 Fri, 07 Aug 2026 11:48:13 -0400 https://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/238209-zillow-charts-expansion-of-mortgage-business bivey@imfpubs.com Daniel Lewis, the new interim CEO of Better Home & Finance, wants the company to focus on “very select ideas that have a demonstrated product market fit.” http://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/238212 Fri, 07 Aug 2026 11:44:20 -0400 https://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/238212-better-shifts-from-founder-mode-to-enterprise-focus jdohnert@imfpubs.com The new housing law’s restriction on large institutional investors’ ability to purchase single-family homes could boost demand for investment-property mortgages from mom-and-pop investors. http://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/238205 Fri, 07 Aug 2026 11:43:22 -0400 https://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/238205-mom-and-pop-investors-could-receive-boost-from-housing-bill jdohnert@imfpubs.com Pending changes to bank capital requirements are unlikely to move depositories further into the mortgage lending space but could provide some additional flexibility to banks moving forward, according to Kroll Bond Rating Agency. http://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/238077 Fri, 24 Jul 2026 12:30:50 -0400 https://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/238077-capital-requirement-changes-not-enough-to-boost-banks-mortgage-business jdohnert@imfpubs.com The Teamsters launched a home affordability program for its members, adding to the growing number of homebuying programs offered through unions. http://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/238082 Fri, 24 Jul 2026 12:23:58 -0400 https://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/238082-labor-union-look-to-tackle-home-affordability dhollier@imfpubs.com An Urban Institute study shows that the internal rate of return of a downpayment on a home often exceeds that of a diversified stock portfolio, especially in low-growth real estate markets. http://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/238058 Fri, 24 Jul 2026 12:20:59 -0400 https://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/238058-numbers-justify-use-of-retirement-funds-for-down-payments jdohnert@imfpubs.com Artificial intelligence and stronger due diligence efforts can help reduce growing instances of appraisal fraud, according to mortgage investors and appraisers. http://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/237955 Fri, 10 Jul 2026 12:09:23 -0400 https://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/237955-ai-in-appraisals-helping-reduce-home-evaluation-risk bivey@imfpubs.com The FHA/VA share of agency business with primary mortgage insurance increased during the second quarter for both purchase mortgages and refis. In the first half of 2026, purchase-mortgage volume with primary MI was up only 2.7% from the first half of 2025. (Includes two data tables.) http://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/237959 Fri, 10 Jul 2026 12:08:25 -0400 https://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/237959-primary-mi-volume-up-in-2q-led-by-fha-and-va jdohnert@imfpubs.com Home prices are down in some areas, but inflation is more than offsetting any relief for homebuyers. http://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/237732 Fri, 12 Jun 2026 11:04:00 -0400 https://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/237732-rising-costs-bring-uncertainty-to-housing-market nbhatia@imfpubs.com The volume of loans with primary insurance coverage flowing into agency mortgage-backed securities declined during the first quarter of 2026. FHA refinances in agency MBS issuance were up 8.0%. (Includes two data tables.) http://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/237588 Fri, 29 May 2026 10:10:03 -0400 https://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/237588-primary-mi-volume-falls-in-1q-fha-boost-refi-share nbhatia@imfpubs.com Denial rates declined slightly last year even as more applicants flocked to get a mortgage. (Includes data table.) http://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/237569 Fri, 29 May 2026 10:04:08 -0400 https://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/237569-denial-rate-for-conforming-mortgages-decline-in-2025 azimmardi@imfpubs.com Real estate investor sentiment plummeted in the first quarter of 2026 to the lowest level in the 11-quarter history of the survey, according to a recent survey from RCN Capital. http://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/237505 Mon, 18 May 2026 11:57:00 -0400 https://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/237505-real-estate-investor-sentiment-falls-to-new-low dhollier@imfpubs.com A new study found that using real estate agent-referred lenders not only increases borrowing costs for homebuyers but also shifts the burden of those costs disproportionately to the most vulnerable households. http://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/237319 Fri, 01 May 2026 13:50:20 -0400 https://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/237319-realtor-referred-lenders-dont-come-cheap jdohnert@imfpubs.com Loan officers can get a leg up against the competition by learning about available downpayment assistance programs. http://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/237103 Fri, 03 Apr 2026 11:06:19 -0400 https://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/237103-dpa-programs-considered-key-to-unlocking-purchase-movement jdohnert@imfpubs.com Young generations are investing in risky endeavors, such as day trading, sports betting and prediction markets, to build wealth instead of through homeownership. http://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/237098 Fri, 03 Apr 2026 11:01:25 -0400 https://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/237098-homeownership-less-of-a-priority-for-younger-generations jdohnert@imfpubs.com Self-employed borrowers are encouraged to watch what they write off if they plan to buy a home in the next two years. http://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/236990 Fri, 20 Mar 2026 12:51:37 -0400 https://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/236990-tax-season-brings-challenges-for-self-employed-borrowers dhollier@imfpubs.com Researchers at the FRB of Richmond demonstrate how banks that gain local market share by acquiring an existing bank are likely to decrease FHA lending even while increasing conventional lending. http://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/236589 Fri, 06 Feb 2026 11:51:24 -0500 https://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/236589-bank-mergers-and-the-availability-of-mortgage-credit bivey@imfpubs.com FHFA Director Pulte frustrated by credit bureaus; mortgage locks decline in December; Mr. Cooper plans layoffs in California. http://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/236346 Fri, 09 Jan 2026 11:08:28 -0500 https://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/236346-grapevine-pulte-targets-score-costs-mortgage-locks-down-in-january bivey@imfpubs.com Leaders at the three major credit bureaus, which own VantageScore, expect to see strong revenues and profits as the GSEs allow VantageScore to compete with FICO. http://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/236089 Fri, 05 Dec 2025 12:14:13 -0500 https://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/236089-credit-bureaus-have-big-expectations-for-vantagescore dhollier@imfpubs.com Lenders with high adoption rates for tools from Freddie Mac like automated collateral estimator and asset and income modeler have significantly lower per-loan costs and higher per-loan profits, the GSE says. http://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/236053 Fri, 05 Dec 2025 12:12:15 -0500 https://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/236053-freddie-mac-estimates-cost-savings-for-digitized-lenders jdohnert@imfpubs.com Sellers are unwilling to budge on price and buyers are waiting for better deals or a shift in market, prompting more delistings. http://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/236084 Fri, 05 Dec 2025 12:07:21 -0500 https://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/236084-buyers-sellers-at-impasse-as-delistings-rise dhollier@imfpubs.com When g-fees increase, lenders unable to pass the added cost through to all borrowers tend to ration credit by rejecting more loans and charging higher rates, according to new research. http://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/235687 Fri, 24 Oct 2025 12:05:03 -0400 https://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/235687-2023-g-fees-hikes-increased-rejection-rates nbhatia@imfpubs.com Deliveries of high-risk purchase loans to the GSEs saw minor increases in the third quarter. But lenders expanded the credit for such loans in the refi sector. (Includes two data tables.) http://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/235578 Fri, 10 Oct 2025 13:30:56 -0400 https://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/235578-gses-get-more-low-risk-purchase-mortgages-in-third-quarter jdohnert@imfpubs.com Small investors, who own five or fewer properties, are increasingly turning to debt service coverage ratio financing to grow their portfolios. http://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/235582 Fri, 10 Oct 2025 13:21:10 -0400 https://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/235582-mom-and-pop-investors-drive-real-estate-purchases jdohnert@imfpubs.com Employers are increasingly offering downpayment assistance programs as a way to boost employee recruitment and retention. http://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/235331 Fri, 12 Sep 2025 12:02:49 -0400 https://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/235331-employers-consider-dpa-programs-as-employee-benefit dhollier@imfpubs.com The perceived morality of mortgage forbearance increases when the borrower pays for the option to forbear, regardless of the political affiliation or personal characteristics of the borrower, according to researchers. http://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/235061 Fri, 15 Aug 2025 11:31:06 -0400 https://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/235061-the-morality-of-forbearance dhollier@imfpubs.com The use of positive rental payment data and cash flow underwriting in new credit score models is expected to increase the number of borrowers that qualify for mortgages. http://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/234931 Fri, 01 Aug 2025 11:20:55 -0400 https://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/234931-vantagescore-touts-benefits-of-new-score bivey@imfpubs.com Rocket Mortgage is leaning on artificial intelligence to improve lending efficiency. The nonbank is wrapping up its acquisition of Mr. Cooper and already seeing benefits from its acquisition of Redfin. http://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/234966 Fri, 01 Aug 2025 11:16:56 -0400 https://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/234966-rocket-working-toward-refi-button-amid-acquisitions bivey@imfpubs.com Mortgage rates aren’t expected to move down much even if the Fed cuts interest rates next month; GSE economists slash projections for home price appreciation; ICE integrates origination and servicing platforms to originate home equity loans; majority of homeowners feeling financially stressed. http://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/234964 Fri, 01 Aug 2025 11:10:03 -0400 https://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/234964-grapevine-interest-rate-outlook-fannie-projects-slower-home-price-appreciation dhollier@imfpubs.com Declining equity and surging escrow payments may be a precursor to market stress in some parts of the country, analysts say. http://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/234822 Fri, 18 Jul 2025 12:06:00 -0400 https://www.insidemortgagefinance.com/articles/234822-sagging-home-prices-threaten-some-mortgage-markets