Volume 25 Issue 29

Thursday, February 12, 2026

Broeksmit Testifies at Congressional Hearing on Homeownership and the Role of the Secondary Mortgage Market

MBA President and CEO Bob Broeksmit, CMB, testified Wednesday afternoon before the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance. He spoke at a hearing titled Homeownership and the Role of the Secondary Mortgage Market.

Job Growth Starts 2026 on a Stronger Note; Fratantoni Weighs In

The U.S. economy added 130,000 nonfarm jobs in January, exceeding consensus expectations.

MBA Releases 2025 Year-End Commercial/Multifamily Servicer Rankings

The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) released its year-end ranking of commercial and multifamily mortgage servicers’ volumes as of Dec. 31, 2025, at its 2026 Commercial/Multifamily Finance Convention and Expo

FHA Commissioner Cassidy Discusses Deregulation, Affordability

SAN DIEGO--Frank Cassidy, federal housing commissioner and assistant secretary for housing at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, outlined some of his goals on the main stage at the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Commercial/Multifamily Finance Convention and Expo Feb. 9. Affordability and deregulation are key on that list.

MBA VIDEOS

MBA Now: ACES Quality Management’s Trevor Gauthier on the State of Mortgage Servicing (sponsored)

MBA's Bob Broeksmit on the Importance of Investing in MISMO

MBA Eye on Washington

MBA Research Minute

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TOP NATIONAL NEWS

Mortgage Credit Availability Ticks up Slightly in January
Fed’s Interest Rate Pause Bolstered by Jobs Data, but Concerns Linger
Exclusive: Pennymac to Acquire Subservicing Giant Cenlar for $257.5M

UPCOMING EVENTS AND NEWS

Town Hall with MBA Leadership, Feb. 26
Join MBA’s Committees and Councils

Today’s Homebuyers Aren’t Optimistic—They’re Adapting (sponsored by Truework)

Truework Founder Ethan Winchell explains why Millennials and Gen Z find homeownership riskier, more stressful, and more expensive than expected.

February 12, 2026

MBA Presents Zain Smith With the David H. Stevens, CMB, Real Estate Legacy Scholarship Award

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MBA announced at its 2026 Commercial/Multifamily Finance Convention and Expo that Zain Smith has been recognized as the David H. Stevens, CMB, Real Estate Legacy Scholarship award winner. The award recognizes students from MBA’s Commercial Real Estate Finance Fellowship Program and HomeFree-USA’s Center for Financial Advancement Program who have shown career aspirations in the real estate finance industry.

February 12, 2026

Optimal Blue: Sub-6% Rates Spark Refinance Surge

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Falling interest rates drove a sharp increase in refinance activity in early 2026, according to Optimal Blue, Plano, Texas.

February 11, 2026

Mortgage Applications Decrease in Latest MBA Weekly Survey

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Mortgage applications decreased 0.3% from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association’s Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending February 6, 2026.

February 11, 2026

Mortgage Credit Availability Increased in January

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Mortgage credit availability increased in January according to the Mortgage Credit Availability Index, a report from MBA that analyzes data from ICE Mortgage Technology.

February 11, 2026

Chandler on Getting Involved, Passing the Torch

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SAN DIEGO--“We always need to be moving forward,” said 2026 Mortgage Bankers Association Chair Christine Chandler, on stage at the MBA Commercial/Multifamily Finance Convention and Expo Feb. 9. “We owe it to our customers, our communities and our entire country. When our companies succeed, we empower others to succeed.”

February 11, 2026

Borrower Recapture Isn’t a Marketing Problem. It’s a Data Problem.

Vertyx Co-Founder Ayo Opeyemi says AI-powered insights allow servicing teams to engage as trusted advisors, proactively presenting options when they’re most relevant to the borrower’s financial goals.

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One Voice. One Vision. One Resource. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) is the national association representing the entire real estate finance industry. For more information visit us at our website.
President and CEO: Robert Broeksmit, CMB
Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and Marketing: John Mechem
Editor: Michael Tucker | 202/557-2851
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