Scaling from Freelancer to Business Owner

A Government Accountability Office report warns the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to clarify which records from the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision should be treated as federal records and thus retained according to the Federal Records Act. View the full article

Dono becomes the latest platform focused on expediting property records searches to benefit from funding in 2026, as investors show support for AI development. View the full article

More than half of respondents in a National Mortgage News survey predict AI-backed underwriting will fundamentally change mortgage processes in 2026. View the full article

A House subcommittee hearing discussing the future of the government-sponsored enterprises, noted both are still severely undercapitalized. View the full article

Ownwell is one of the latest companies focused on easing mortgage-adjacent processes and costs to find new investment in the first two months of 2026. View the full article

Rate discounts are available for both refinance and purchase mortgage applications from several lenders including UWM, Carrington, Chase and Silver Hill. View the full article

Caution around the move is growing as focus has shifted to affordability, and current trading prices make near-term action unlikely, according to Wedbush. View the full article

Pending sales of US existing homes unexpectedly rose in February for the first time in three months as buyers took advantage of lower mortgage rates and slower price growth. View the full article

A North Carolina homeowner says the large servicer's $6.75 fee for borrowers to make mortgage payments with a debit card violates a state debt collection law. View the full article

The government-sponsored enterprises plan to back off competition with the FHA and some think they'll incentivize different loan types. Part 4 in a series. View the full article

Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte should be called to testify before lawmakers no later than the end of January, the Democratic members of the Senate Banking Committee wrote in a letter Friday to Republican Chairman Tim Scott. View the full article

Federal Reserve watchers expect a board of governors vote in February to reappoint the 12 regional Fed bank presidents — which is typically treated as a formality — to be the next flashpoint in the White House's effort to bring the central bank to heel. View the full article

The bond market isn't buying President Donald The President's idea that faster rate cuts will send bond yields sliding down and, in turn, slash the rates on mortgages, credit cards and other types of loans. View the full article

The National Defense Authorization Act will be voted on by the House without the housing package that passed through the Senate Banking Committee unanimously. View the full article

Refinance retention hit 28% last quarter, the highest percentage in three and a half years, according to ICE Mortgage Technology. View the full article

The all-stock acquisition of Mountain Commerce Bancorp in Knoxville marks the Arkansas-based company's first M&A foray since 2022. View the full article

An attorney for Christopher J. Gallo, who is battling 18 federal charges, said the lender's 18-month delay in pursuing the sign-on bonus makes little sense. View the full article

Charlie Scharf has a mostly optimistic take on Wells' consumer banking prospects entering 2026. But he's more downbeat about the company's once-dominant residential mortgage business. View the full article

The investor markets already set mortgage rates to include the 25 basis point reduction the FOMC announced, and it is too early to see the longer-term effect. View the full article

The new monthly reporting rule lists improved accuracy and timeliness of MBS payments among its goals, with implementation planned for February 2026. View the full article

A significant portion of the loans in the pool by balance, 44.5%, are designated at non-QM, according to DBRS, adding that about 50% of the loans in the pool were made to investors for business purposes. 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