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News•Feb 27, 2026
Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac's Total Portfolio at Multiyear High
Government‑sponsored enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pushed their combined retained portfolio to a multiyear high of $278.45 billion in January, up from $271.69 billion the month before. Fannie’s retained assets rose to $141.64 billion, while Freddie’s mortgage‑backed securities holdings increased to $49.46 billion despite a dip in its loan component. The growth reflects President Trump’s directive to expand MBS purchases toward a $200 billion target, aiming to lower mortgage rates. Analysts say the pace suggests the goal could be achieved within the next twelve months.
By National Mortgage News
News•Feb 27, 2026
What Lenders Should Consider when Evaluating Small Landlords
Small landlords are an expanding segment of the rental market, but their limited scale creates underwriting challenges for lenders. To gauge creditworthiness, lenders must scrutinize the borrower’s financial stability, including cash flow, tax returns, and debt ratios. Portfolio performance—occupancy rates,...
By National Mortgage News
News•Feb 27, 2026
Brian Montgomery Joins Newday Advisory Board as Vice Chair
Former Federal Housing Commissioner Brian Montgomery has been appointed vice chair of Newday USA’s advisory board. Montgomery, the only person to lead the FHA twice and a former HUD deputy secretary, brings extensive federal housing finance experience. Newday, a VA‑focused...
By National Mortgage News
News•Feb 27, 2026
Fairway Moves Into Home Insurance at Origination
Fairway Independent Mortgage Corp. announced a partnership with The Baldwin Group to launch Fairway Home Insurance Agency, offering homeowners insurance at loan origination. The collaboration embeds Baldwin’s proprietary technology into Fairway’s workflow, allowing real‑time policy quotes during the mortgage application....
By National Mortgage News
News•Feb 26, 2026
Foreclosure Starts Surge to Early 2020 Levels
The national delinquency rate slipped to 3.65% in January, yet foreclosure starts surged to 42,000, matching early‑2020 levels. Late‑stage delinquencies rose 104,000 year‑over‑year, pushing the count of borrowers 90+ days delinquent to a July 2022 high. While mortgage rates fell, pre‑payment...
By National Mortgage News
News•Feb 26, 2026
LoanCare Faces Revived Class Action on Prepayments
A three‑judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals vacated a district‑court summary judgment that had favored Loancare, reviving a class‑action suit alleging the mortgage servicer mishandled borrower prepayments. The plaintiffs claim Loancare delayed applying prepayments to principal,...
By National Mortgage News
News•Feb 25, 2026
Non-QM Specialist Lendermac Acquires Utah's Direct Mortgage
Lendermac, a specialist in non‑qualified mortgages, announced an agreement to acquire Utah‑based Direct Mortgage Corp. The deal brings Direct’s 2024 loan volume of roughly $209 million, along with its conventional and government loan capabilities and agency approvals from Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac...
By National Mortgage News
News•Feb 25, 2026
MI Volumes Jump 12%, Competitive Pressure Builds
Private mortgage insurers collectively wrote 12% more new insurance in 2025, driven by a sharp rate‑cut‑induced surge in fourth‑quarter originations. While MGIC remained the top writer for the sixth straight quarter, the sector’s share continues to slip to the FHA...
By National Mortgage News
News•Feb 25, 2026
Onity Group Adds a Former Truist Executive to C-Suite
Onity Group announced the appointment of Aulene Wessel, a former executive vice president at Truist, as its new chief accounting officer. Wessel replaces Francois Grunenwald, who will exit after a transition period. Her résumé includes senior roles at SoFi, Silicon...
By National Mortgage News
News•Feb 25, 2026
Citi Commits $60 Billion to Affordable Housing Initiative
Citigroup announced its Blueprint for Housing Opportunity, a five‑year plan committing more than $60 billion to increase affordable housing supply in the United States. The initiative targets the creation or preservation of at least 250,000 units and includes $50 million in philanthropic...
By National Mortgage News
News•Feb 25, 2026
FHFA VantageScore Savings Sized up, FICO Expands in Mortgage
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) plans to adopt VantageScore 4.0 alongside FICO’s 10T score as part of a mandated modernization effort. A Deep Future Analytics study projects that competitive use of VantageScore could cut mortgage credit‑score fees by more than...
By National Mortgage News
Deals•Feb 25, 2026
Lendermac Reaches Agreement to Acquire Direct Mortgage Corp.
Wholesale and correspondent mortgage firm Lendermac announced it has reached an agreement to acquire Direct Mortgage Corp., a Utah-based lender. The acquisition aims to expand Lendermac’s national presence and strengthen its multichannel platform, leveraging Direct Mortgage’s expertise in conventional and...
National Mortgage News
News•Feb 23, 2026
State Bill Could End Tax Break for Large Digital Lenders
Washington State’s House Bill 2089 seeks to restore dwindling wildfire‑prevention funding by revoking a tax deduction that currently benefits large digital mortgage lenders. The deduction, originally crafted for community banks, generated $91.6 million in savings in 2024, with 65 % captured by...
By National Mortgage News
News•Feb 23, 2026
Homebuying Power Hits Highest Level in Nearly 4 Years
Homebuying power in the United States reached its highest level in nearly four years, driven by a decline in mortgage rates and modest inventory growth. A median‑income household can now afford a $331,483 home with a 20% down payment, roughly...
By National Mortgage News
News•Feb 23, 2026
Servicers Offer Support as Nonagency Gets More Competitive
Traditional lenders are eyeing the expanding non‑agency mortgage market as originations have roughly tripled in recent years, driven by growing appetite for non‑owner‑occupied and non‑QM loans. Securitization activity surged 78% in 2025, while delinquencies on non‑QM assets have risen above...
By National Mortgage News