15+ hour, 40+ min ago   (761+ words) Mortgage rates ended the week at 7.12%, a level that historically coincides with softer housing demand. Holiday effects lowered weekly inventory and listings, but pending sales and purchase apps are entering a period of tougher year-over-year comparisons with last year’s falling-rate…...

2+ day, 19+ hour ago   (430+ words) CrossCountry Mortgage increased its internal conforming loan limit to $845,000 through an Early Bird program, getting ahead of FHFA’s official 2027 announcement. AI Summary CrossCountry Mortgage (CCM) has raised its conforming loan limit to $845,000 through an “Early Bird” program announced Thursday, moving…...

2+ day, 23+ hour ago   (242+ words) The 7% mortgage rate threshold broke as the 10-year yield increased to 4.92% and WTI oil moved above $100. Low jobless claims and a 4.1% unemployment rate are keeping pressure on rates by supporting a more hawkish Fed outlook. AI Summary As labor force…...

3+ day, 1+ hour ago   (323+ words) MBA’s Mortgage Credit Availability Index fell 1% in August to a reading of 107.3, signaling tighter lending standards. The conventional index dropped 1.8% and jumbo availability fell 2.5%, while government loan availability was unchanged. AI Summary Mortgage credit availability declined in August as lenders…...

4+ day, 23+ hour ago   (159+ words) Homeowners don’t stop needing financing after they purchase a home or refinance. As they build equity and enter new stages of homeownership, their financial needs shift from buying and refinancing to renovating, supporting family members, purchasing later in life or…...

3+ day, 22+ hour ago   (1586+ words) With rates back above 7%, lenders cannot rely on volume relief. MBA IMB data shows profitability hinges on execution and unit cost, with Q2 2026 top vs bottom quintile costs of 7,340 vs 13,690 per loan. AI Summary When our first article ran two weeks…...

4+ day, 23+ hour ago   (830+ words) Optimal Blue reported August 2026 lock volume fell 9% month over month and 3% year over year as rates held steady. Purchases were 81% of volume, while rate-and-term refis fell 47% year over year. AI Summary Mortgage activity weakened in August even as mortgage rates…...

1+ week, 4+ day ago   (381+ words) What Gen Z borrowers are telling us about the future of mortgage Despite persistent affordability challenges, younger generations are finding ways to achieve homeownership, ICE housing market data shows. This demographic shift means the mortgage industry needs to rethink how…...

1+ week, 3+ day ago   (334+ words) Rate hired Vito Roppo and Nick Ferrante from Fairway Home Mortgage to lead a new branch in Elmhurst, Illinois. The producing partnership branch managers bring $155M in combined production as Rate expands its profit-and-loss branch platform. AI Summary Rate announced on…...

2+ week, 1+ day ago   (869+ words) Editor in Chief Sarah Wheeler says the WSJ's attack on nonbanks is just a lazy way to tap into fear about another 2008-style housing crash, even though that kind of lending scenario no longer exists. Instead, the vast majority of…...