Interest rates tick up, mortgage applications slow near the end of September and refi rate locks spike during the month; Annaly turns to Rocket for subservicing and retention; Fairway touts returning employees; mortgage tech developments; SitusAMC sells loan insurance entity.

Mark Cunningham, CEO at TRAiNED, believes new technologies can be leveraged to better reach so-called digital native homebuyers.

Rocket is turning profits again after taking a loss in 2023. Now the lender is working to regain the market share it lost, using various strategies for both purchase mortgages and refinances.

CoreLogic and Equifax launched new income verification tools ahead of an anticipated increase in purchase originations.

FHFA economists estimate that the average required monthly payment for a new mortgage rose 57% between 2022 and the end of 2023.

NYCB scales back with sale of Flagstar’s mortgage operations; Cornerstone Bank makes leadership hires; MISMO working group on AVMs; AI updates.

Despite inventory challenges, officials at Flagstar are hopeful that an expected rate cut will help boost mortgage originations.

In some parts of the country, the giant home builder shelled out incentives of as much as $81,700 per home delivered, most of that in the form of interest rate buydowns.

Locks declined in June but, when controlling for the difference in business days compared with May, the decline vanishes; Fitch downgraded its long-term issuer default rating on Finance of America Companies to C; talent management topped cost cutting in Fannie’s latest survey of mortgage execs’ priorities; MISMO forms group focused on AI.

One way lenders can make homes more affordable is to combine the GSEs’ low-downpayment programs with other tools that reduce downpayment and closing costs.