For the third consecutive month, mortgage credit availability declined, with some products reaching their lowest levels in a decade. It’s only expected to get worse as lenders worry about the economy.

Pushback of proposed certification requirements and a vacant leadership role have led to a year-long blackout on new CDFI applications.

Lenders that focus on non-qualified mortgages are expanding the credit box to reach more borrowers.

Chase’s top officials shed light this week on how First Republic Bank’s high-quality mortgage assets and affluent borrowers fit right into the megabank’s wheelhouse.

Banks are reducing their appetite for new mortgage originations, particularly among non-agency products. Nonbanks see an opportunity to take some market share.

Lenders that focus on non-agency business-purpose lending are seeing success while traditional mortgage lenders struggle.

First Republic Bank has set its sights on cleaning up its balance sheet and originating loans for sale to the secondary market, which may be easier said than done.

The guilty plea by Sterling Bank includes $27.2 million in restitution. The DOJ said any higher amount would have put the bank out of business.

Agency securitization of high-balance loans fell slightly more than non-agency jumbo originations in the fourth quarter. The two markets are nearly mirror images of each other in terms of bank/non-bank dominance. (Includes three data charts.)

Will investors be interested in buying shares in a special purpose acquisition company that houses a bank/warehouse lender and assets put together by fintech guru Mike Cagney? Maybe in “normal times,” but we’re not operating in normal times.