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Bonds Cap Stellar Week/Month With Strongest Close
2/27/2026 3:24 PM
Bonds Cap Stellar Week/Month With Strongest Close Bonds ended the week/month at their strongest levels with 10yr yields breaking below the 4.0% floor to close at 3.95+.  In addition to the low outright levels, the journey was accomplished with minimal volatility along the way. This is potentially surpr...Read More
 
Mortgage Rates End Week at Best Levels
2/27/2026 12:56 PM
At this point, it is getting a bit repetitive to bring up "the lowest rates in more than 3 years"--something that was officially the case twice this week. If we give rates credit for stably holding these long-term lows (and we should!), then every day this week has been the best in more than 3 years. Here"s the specific record: at no other time in...Read More
 
Mortgage Demand Calm Before The Storm?
2/27/2026 12:27 PM
Mortgage application activity edged ever-so-slightly higher last week, with the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reporting an increase of 0.4% on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week ending February 20. Refi applications continue to do the heavy lifting. The Refinance Index increased 4% from the previous week and was 150% higher than t...Read More
 
Home Prices Still Rising, But Pace Remains Subdued
2/27/2026 12:10 PM
Home price appreciation pulled back slightly at the end of last year, according to December data from both FHFA and S&P/Cotality Case-Shiller. The reports reinforce the message that prices continued to appreciate modestly through the end of 2025. FHFA’s seasonally adjusted House Price Index shows home prices up 1.8% year-over-year in the f...Read More
 
Fraud, Processing, Verification Waterfall Products; Fairway and Insurance; Conv. Conforming Changes
2/27/2026 10:17 AM
Can’t you feel the anticipation building? March 5th… Trigger leads… Don’t tell me that you’ve forgotten all about it. When a borrower applies for a mortgage and their credit is pulled, that data has historically been sold as a “trigger lead” and dozens of calls are received. Starting March 5, according to the law, credit bureaus can no longer sell ...Read More
 
Starting Out Under 4.0% Despite Hotter PPI
2/27/2026 8:29 AM
We"d already discussed the fact that PPI has fallen by the wayside as a relevant market mover for bonds despite one or two instances of relevance nearly 2 years ago when bonds were desperate for any hints of change. Today"s PPI results and the ensuing bond market movement leave no doubt as to the relevance of this data. Spoiler alert: there"s basic...Read More
 
Knock Knock Knockin" on 10yr Floor
2/26/2026 3:16 PM
Knock Knock Knockin" on 10yr Floor Sometimes, it"s a shame that the 7yr Treasury isn"t the most popular bond market benchmark. If it were, today"s headline could reference "knockin" on 7"s floor." Whether it"s the 3.77 level in the 7yr Treasury yield or 4.0% in the 10yr, bonds are repeatedly approaching the...Read More
 
Best Week For Mortgage Rates in Years
2/26/2026 2:42 PM
Given that we have the somewhat unpopular job of reporting that today"s average top-tier 30yr fixed mortgage rate is 6.00 again, rather than the 5.99 seen earlier this week, we can at least find one glowingly positive development as a silver lining. In fact, the silver lining is more than a consolation prize. It"s actually better news than another...Read More
 
MBS Optimization, Non-Del Non-QM, Fraud, Realtor Tools; STRATMOR on Momentum; Jamie Dimon, AI, and Markets
2/26/2026 10:46 AM
The latest example is ICE Mortgage Technology launching its new Homeowner Portal, powered by LERETA’s tax tracking data, “giving homeowners real-time visibility into their property tax and insurance payment information. The integration enhances transparency for borrowers while helping servicers improve efficiency and reduce inbound customer inquiri...Read More
 
Back to The Stronger End of The Range
2/26/2026 9:37 AM
This is the problem with narrow trading ranges. Yesterday, yields were safely inside a narrow range near long-term lows. Today, they"re challenging the lowest levels since November. Any time we"re at the best levels in months, it"s normal to want to know why, but because of the narrow range, there isn"t really a new "why" for today"s share of the m...Read More




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Mortgage rates hit lowest level in nearly 4 years, but homebuyers are still stuck on the sidelines
2/25/2026 9:14 AM
Mortgage rates dropped to the lowest level since 2022 last week, but demand from homebuyers declined as well, as they continue to struggle with affordability...Read More
 
5 takeaways from Trump's State of the Union address
2/25/2026 11:55 AM
Democrats are nipping at the heels of the incumbent Republicans for control of Congress in the 2026 midterms....Read More
 
Democrats counter Trump's proposal to limit institutional housing investors
2/25/2026 12:43 PM
A new bill from Sen. Elizabeth Warren targets investors who own 50-plus single-family homes, and breaks with a White House proposal....Read More
 
Mortgage rates just dropped below 6%, matching lowest level since 2022
2/23/2026 1:29 PM
Mortgage rates dropped below 6%, matching their lowest levels since 2022, as economic concerns over tariffs and a recent GDP report cause bond yields to drop....Read More
 
Homebuyers are paying more for mortgage credit checks. Here’s why
2/22/2026 8:30 AM
Despite being a small part of closing costs, credit report fees have become a flashpoint in the mortgage industry...Read More
 
Personal loans surge amid affordability struggles: It's 'the middle-class refinancing option,' expert says
2/20/2026 7:30 AM
Some borrowers are turning to personal loans to refinance credit card debt. Those loans are expected increase nearly 6% this year, TransUnion forecast...Read More
 
From 'vanlords' to safe parking sites: How RVs became Silicon Valley's housing safety net
2/20/2026 11:23 AM
Across California, the number of people living in vehicles has surged in recent years due to soaring rents...Read More
 
Mortgage rates sink to the lowest level in a month, sparking more refinance demand
2/18/2026 7:06 AM
Mortgage rates dropped again last week, sparking a small jump in refinancing, but potential buyers were not impressed....Read More
 
Home sellers start getting lower prices at 70, research shows — and the gap widens with age
2/14/2026 8:30 AM
Two factors contribute to older homeowners receiving less money at sale, according to new research: lack of upkeep and selling privately...Read More
 
Realtors report a 'new housing crisis' as January home sales tank more than 8%
2/12/2026 9:37 AM
Home sales in January fell more than expected as mortgage rates didn"t move much and consumer confidence dropped....Read More




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