Originations

Mortgage rates move lower ahead of Fed decision

Mortgage rate movements stayed muted as investors await the culmination of June’s Federal Open Market Committee meeting later on Wednesday. Rates declined for the third consecutive week, but remained in that tight 6.8% range, the Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market survey reported. The survey was released a day early because of the Juneteenth holiday. What […]

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Guild, Bayview talks result in deal valued at $1.3 billion

The outcome of previously-reported talks between Guild Mortgage and Bayview, a quiet servicing giant and asset manager, is a finalized acquisition valued at $1.3 billion that will transform the lender. In line with previous talks, a Bayview fund will buy outstanding shares of Guild it didn’t already own. The publicly-traded lender plans to go private

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Mortgage group eyes end of tri-merge reports

The Mortgage Bankers Association has begun to study the feasibility of reducing the government-related mortgage market’s traditional three credit-report pull to a single one, putting a new twist on an old proposal. President and CEO Bob Broeksmit said in a recent blog that the move could fit in with an industry regulator’s interest in promoting

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Why home equity is high but the typical house’s value fell

The slow erosion in first-quarter home equity from a year ago equates to a four-figure decline in house value, according to Cotality’s latest numbers. The new Cotality study, which follows an earlier report of home equity declines by Attom, shows the trend drove a typical house’s value down by $4,200 at the beginning of 2025

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Tech-driven homebuyer platform Realpha hits Texas

Technology-backed real estate platform Realpha is expanding into Texas, the latest move in its attempt to establish end-to-end home buying services across the country.  Already active in Florida, Realpha rolled out its platform to the Lone Star State through an agreement with national brokerage Continental Real Estate Group, allowing it to build a customer base

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Home equity investment products set to soar, experts say

A “perfect storm” is paving the way for growth in home equity investment contracts, with originations and secondary market activity both on the upswing for the emerging asset class, industry leaders said this week.   Tailwinds behind the product gives reason for optimism, according to Mark Ginsberg, an expert in securitized products originations at Barclays Investment

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UWM brings back 1% down conventional mortgage

United Wholesale Mortgage is bringing back a conventional purchase mortgage in which the borrower only has to come up with a 1% down payment. A previous version of the product was last offered in May 2024. With this iteration, the mortgage is available up to the conforming loan limit for buyers at or below 80%

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REIT buys HomeXpress in cash-and-stock deal worth over $120M

Chimera Investment Corp., a New York-based real estate investment trust, announced plans to buy non-QM lender HomeXpress Mortgage in a cash-and-stock deal worth over $120 million Thursday. The deal, expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025, includes a $120 million cash payment for the Santa Ana, California-based company, plus more than 2 million

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Mortgage scam reports are soaring despite the slowing market

Mortgage scam reports have soared in recent years, opposite of the housing market’s slowdown. The industry as of April was reporting 71 mortgage scams per month, up from just 14 per month in 2022 at the tail-end of the refinance boom, according to BackOffice Pro, a business services organization. While real estate companies disclosed losses

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