Steady Interest Rates Bring Mortgage Volume Back to Life

CNBC, Aug. 22, 2018–Diana OlickTotal mortgage application volume rose 4.2 percent last week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted report. Volume was still 15 percent lower compared with the same week one year ago.

Mortgage Net Branches Back?

Mortgage Daily, Aug. 22, 2018Net branches are a structure that’s long been abandoned as a result of regulatory scrutiny. But one mortgage banking firm is making a go of it again with some huge incentives.

Mortgage Defaults Improved but Originations Still Down from Crisis

National Mortgage News, Aug. 22, 2018–Elina Tarkazikis (subscription)Better consumer credit quality helped push the serious mortgage delinquency rate to its lowest level since the Great Recession, but originations remain low due to a combination of tighter underwriting standards and eroding homebuyer affordability, according to TransUnion.

They’re Baaaack: Big Banks Flexing their Lobbying Muscle

American Banker, Aug. 22, 2018–Victoria Finkle (subscription)Congress checked regulatory relief off its list earlier this year, delivering key reforms to community and regional banks. But now, attention in Washington is beginning to shift to another segment of the industry known more perennially for its lobbying prowess.

Freddie Securitizing Re-Performing Mortgages

Mortgage Daily, Aug. 22, 2018More than a billion dollars in single-family loans that were previously non-performing are being moved from Freddie Mac’s balance sheet to a securitized trust.