Author: badmortgage

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s total retained portfolios hit a new multiyear high last month, and March’s numbers could be even higher amid reports they may have stepped up MBS buying to counter market disruption.Processing ContentFannie held $150 billion in its portfolio in February, including nearly $77 billion of its own MBS, $63 billion in mortgage loans, $10 billion in other agency bonds, and $102 million in nonagency securities. It had $142 billion in its portfolio the previous month and $93 billion a year ago.  Freddie recorded a total portfolio size of $139 billion in February, including $82 billion in…

The 10-year Treasury yield continued its wild movements based on alternating headlines on the Iran conflict, but as a result mortgage rates ended the week 16 basis points higher, Freddie Mac found.Processing ContentThe 30-year fixed rate mortgage reached 6.38% for March 26, up from an average of 6.22% one week earlier, the Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey reported. For the same period in 2025, the 30-year FRM was at 6.65%.This is the highest the 30-year FRM has been since September. But the 15-year FRM climbed closer to the year ago rate, rising 21 basis points to 5.75% from 5.54%…

Cheniere Q4 2025 slides: record LNG exports drive 42% cash flow surge

Two Harbors Investment has jilted UWM Holdings at the altar, agreeing to be acquired by CrossCountry Mortgage for $10.80 in an all-cash transaction.Processing ContentUWM went into attack mode following the announcement before the market’s opened on Friday morning.”The actions taken by TWO’s management team and board do not reflect the best interests of their shareholders,” a statement from a company spokesperson said. “What appears to be seller’s remorse — driven by loss of control — does not justify accepting an inferior transaction, disregarding binding contractual obligations or failing to negotiate with us in good faith.”UWM declared its offer is higher…

The government-sponsored enterprises appear increasingly likely to face a lengthy capital reform process, but the former CEO of Freddie Mac said he sees a faster way forward. Processing Content”Although developing such a simplified and reformed capital rule is often seen as a challenging and time-consuming regulatory task, it might well be relatively straightforward,” Donald Layton, Freddie Mac’s former CEO, said in a report published this week. Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg The most direct path involves lowering the minimum standards and using the 2018 Enterprise Regulatory Capital Framework proposal as a basis for change, according to the report Layton wrote for New York…

Property tax revenues collected by local and state jurisdictions surged nearly 5% at the end of last year and continued an ongoing nine-quarter stretch of increases. Processing ContentThe $210.7 billion generated in the fourth quarter reflected a seasonally adjusted 1% uptick from $208.5 billion three months earlier, according to a National Association of Home Builders analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. Compared to one year earlier, the number reflected a 4.8% jump up from $201 billion. Property taxes accounted for $826.8 billion, or 37.5%, of the $2.2 trillion in overall assessments collected in full-year 2025. The fourth-quarter share was 37.3%, hovering…

Some Resilience After AM Weakness 1 Hour, 4 Min ago Some Resilience After AM Weakness 10yr yields are set to end the week at the highest levels since last July, but those were even higher highs earlier this morning. From roughly 9am-1130am ET, bonds recovered all of the day’s losses in a move that was led by adjustments to Fed rate hike expectations.  Yes, we can/should call it that now because there are no longer any rate cut expectations based on futures trading. Instead, there’s indecision about holding steady vs a small chance of rate hikes. War headlines remain…

Key Takeaways A reverse mortgage becomes due when the last borrower dies, and heirs must quickly decide whether to sell, refinance, or give up the home. Because reverse mortgages are non-recourse loans, heirs never owe more than the home’s market value. Adding a spouse as a co-borrower helps ensure they can stay in the home without triggering immediate repayment. See if you qualify for a reverse mortgage. Start here A reverse mortgage gives older homeowners a way to supplement their income in retirement. It allows homeowners over the age of 62 to access their home’s equity without selling the property…

Foyer and Nayya are partnering to offer first-time homeownership benefits to employees across the country.Processing ContentEmployers who use Nayya’s agentic AI platform can provide Foyer, a dedicated 401(k) for homeownership, as a benefit that helps its employees buy a home by saving for a down payment, building credit and navigating the entire purchase process in one place, the companies announced in a press release Thursday. The partnership utilizes Foyer’s homeownership tools and Nayya’s benefits guidance. “First-time homebuyers have never had to work harder or be more intentional to get into their first home,” said Landy Liu, founder and CEO of Foyer,…

Verification, Non-QM Hedging Tools; Builder Trends That Impact LOs; Student Debt News; Automation and Processing Products, Services, and Software for Brokers and Lenders Four Methods to Hedge Non-QM & Maximize Profits: In today’s growing non-QM market, selling best efforts is leaving value on the table. Accumulating bulk and improving execution is possible, but it involves taking price risk on the non-QM loans, and this requires hedging. A new technical brief evaluates four primary methodologies used by capital markets professionals: forward sales, correlated hedges, hedging to expected CPRs (i.e., prepayment profile), and hedging to a stochastic model. While forward sales…