The shift from refinance to purchase-mortgage lending helped boost the share of new agency business with primary mortgage insurance during the third quarter.

Analysts are betting the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund will be healthy enough to propel the FHA to lower premiums early next year.

Surging purchase-mortgage business helped boost market shares for the FHA and private mortgage insurers, but the biggest factor was a sharp decline in VA business. (Includes three data charts.)

The shift in focus from refinance to purchase mortgages helped boost the secondary market in FHA and private MI loans, while the VA and uninsured conventional markets saw declines. (Includes three data charts.)

Mortgage insurer PMI of Arizona has put itself on the auction block. Who? And therein lies a story...

Time to throw away the loss-mitigation toolbox in dealing with COVID-related delinquencies? Maybe not.

The Washington rumor mill is spitting out names for the FHA and Ginnie Mae jobs. Will any turn into actual nominations?

A greater concentration of refinances in the primary market led to a sharp drop in the private MI share of new primary insurance business. And the FHA actually posted a bigger gain in refi endorsements than the VA. (Includes three data charts.)

Has market sentiment spread to the MI sector? Genworth Financial scuttles (for now) IPO of mortgage insurance division.

The seasonal housing market slowdown had a bigger impact on private MI business in the first quarter. New restrictions on Fannie/Freddie acquisitions of purchase loans with layered credit risk may hit the private MI sector the hardest. (Includes three data charts.)