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Underwriting

MI, title firms positioned well for 2026’s challenges: Fitch

Distressed, Mortgage Rates, PMI, Servicing, Underwriting /

The nation’s private mortgage insurers are adequately capitalized to deal with the housing market’s challenges during 2026, so on balance they have a neutral outlook for next year, Fitch Ratings said. Processing Content “We expect strong borrower credit profiles, relatively stable employment levels, and persistent home price appreciation to help mitigate pressures from ongoing housing-affordability […]

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FHA records stable capital ratios amid softer performance

FHA, Politics and policy, Servicing, Underwriting /

The Federal Housing Administration’s mortgage insurance fund capital ratios were largely stable this past federal fiscal year, its annual report, delayed by the government shutdown, showed. Processing Content The overall ratio for the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund matched the previous fiscal year’s 11.47%, far above its required statutory 2% minimum. The capital ratio for the

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Down-payment savings time has dropped dramatically from 2022

Housing markets, MARKETING TO BORROWERS, Originations, Underwriting /

While consumer affordability when it comes to purchasing a home improved during 2025 compared with a 2022 peak, costs are significantly higher than prior to the pandemic, a pair of metrics show. Processing Content It took a U.S. household seven years to save for a typical down payment on a home, an improvement from 12

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Crypto-backed mortgages test risk and reward for lenders

Cryptocurrency, Originations, Servicing, Underwriting /

As the Trump administration pushes crypto further into the mainstream, some lenders are testing whether digital assets can open the door for borrowers who don’t fit the traditional mold and whether the trade-off is worth the risk. Processing Content In June, the Federal Housing Finance Agency director Bill Pulte urged Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

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How The Loan Store doubled volume in a crowded wholesale market

Arizona, HWmember, LendingLife, Mortgage, Mortgage Broker, Non-QM, Origination, Underwriting, Wholesale Lending /

In a wholesale mortgage market dominated by giants, Arizona-based lender The Loan Store (TLS) has found a way to grow quickly by hiring a team of “samurai” account executives and underwriters from across the industry and picking up loans that others would deny. In the first nine months of 2025, the company doubled its origination

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Fitch flags rising leverage across nonbank lenders

Earnings, Servicing, Underwriting /

Fitch Ratings says its 2025 review of nonbank mortgage lenders reflects how the biggest players have strengthened their franchises during three years of consolidation. Processing Content “The largely stable outlooks reflect Fitch’s expectation that the operating environment will improve moderately and financial metrics will remain within rating sensitivities,” the report said It cited Inside Mortgage

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Rate shopping could save borrowers over $1,100 a year

Marketing, MARKETING TO BORROWERS, Mortgage Rates, Originations, Underwriting /

Approximately 70% of U.S. home purchasers do not shop mortgage lenders looking for a lower rate, possibly costing them as much as 50 basis points in higher payments, a report from Zillow claims. Processing Content The company’s analysis uses a typical home worth $360,000, with the purchaser putting 20% down. At 6.24%, the average in

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Lower rates drive best November lock activity in years

LOAN PRODUCTS, Mortgage Rates, Originations, Secondary markets, Underwriting /

Optimal Blue’s Market Volume Index, which tracks mortgage rate lock activity, fell below 100 in November for the first time since August, reflecting typical seasonal trends. Processing Content Still, aided by lower interest rates in the second half of the year, November marked the strongest reading for this metric since 2021, strong by any measure,

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