Contracts, Invoices & Legal

Keefe, Bruyette & Woods attributes Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac portfolio growth for the narrower spreads, but other reasons include lower volatility. View the full article

The accusations, relating to the lender's marketing programs, including trips for brokers as things of value, stem from a larger racketeering complaint. View the full article

First Federal Bank stretched its retail mortgage operations into Louisiana and Mississippi, following its expansion into the Midwest and Arizona in 2023. View the full article

The impact of extreme weather remains top of mind for many, with a majority of homeowners citing it as a factor behind purchase or relocation considerations. View the full article

Yields gravitated back toward session lows — down three to four basis points on the day — after the December ISM manufacturing gauge unexpectedly dropped. View the full article

Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Neel Kashkari said on CNBC that both sides of the central bank's dual mandate show signs of imbalance, with the labor market appearing more vulnerable. View the full article

The rally sparked by the weekend US arrest of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro also faltered as oil prices rebounded from their initial declines View the full article

Brinton joins the mortgage industry trade group after previously holding accounting leadership positions at a range of business organizations and nonprofits. View the full article

Mamdani issued several other orders, including one that created a new office devoted to community engagement and three that concern housing and real estate. View the full article

The number of remodeling establishments hit at a record high earlier this decade and now accounts for over 60% of home construction-related businesses. View the full article

The government-sponsored enterprise is under fire from dozens of the more than 100 workers it fired last spring for allegedly committing fraud. View the full article

A definitive move could occur as early as fiscal year 2026 or take until 2033, depending on what the government is willing to do, according to one analyst. View the full article

The Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago will be offering more funding and higher per-member limits as part of its 2026 Community Advance program. View the full article

Fitch Ratings' outlooks for mortgage and title insurers this year are neutral, as housing deals with affordability challenges and a likely economic downturn. View the full article

The merger of equals, which received a chilly reception from investors when it was announced in July, closed faster than analysts had expected. View the full article

For 2026, most Wall Street interest-rate strategists expect stable-to-higher Treasury yields as the Fed's rate-cutting cycle comes to an end. View the full article

After the ceremony on Thursday, Mamdani announced three executive orders focused on housing affordability to kickstart his agenda. View the full article

New Jersey-based OceanFirst Financial slid in its planned $579 million acquisition of Flushing Financial just before the end of the year. The private equity firm Warburg Pincus is also participating in the transaction. View the full article

The new regulation, which passed overwhelmingly in the state legislature, would allow insurers to remove wildfire protections from standard homeowners policies. View the full article

Three U.S. senators opened an inquiry into insurance ratings firm Demotech and whether its assessments may be exposing taxpayers to growing risks tied to climate-driven insurer failures. View the full article

U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson said the administration must request funds from the Federal Reserve, rejecting a The President DOJ legal theory. View the full article

As CFPB oversight recedes, servicers are turning to FHA, VA and state rules for guidance, with distressed loan compliance, redefaults and local registration risks rising in 2026. View the full article

The latest announcement comes two months after an initial round of staff reductions following approval of Rocket's acquisition of the company. View the full article

Here are the most-read stories from National Mortgage News over the past year. View the full article

The professionals can't originate loans in their local cities for various stretches, following a federal judge's ruling granting most of the lender's wishes. View the full article