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Compliance, Surveys, eGuides and Webinars; Agency Updates; Spector Q&A

5/4/2026 9:49 AM

The industry is talking about their earnings: Fannie Mae had $3.7 billion of net income, Freddie Mac had net income of $3.6 billion. Regular and frequent information like this is critical to make informed decisions, whether you’re thinking about buying stock or buying a home. I recently received this note. “Rob, occasionally I am asked by my client...Read More

Weaker Start. Bonds Not Recovering With Oil So Far

5/4/2026 9:09 AM

The overnight and early domestic trading hours have brought a mix of familiar and unfamiliar patterns. Up until roughly 8:30am, we saw a very familiar correlation between oil prices and bond yields. Both spiked at 6am following reports that 2 Iranian missiles hit a U.S. warship. Those reports were subsequently denied and oil prices made a full reco...Read More

Some Volatility Surrounding Headlines, But Not Much Change

5/1/2026 2:27 PM

Some Volatility Surrounding Headlines, But Not Much Change Bonds began the day roughly flat before losing ground modestly into the 9am hour as markets mis-read headlines regarding new peace proposals submitted by Iran. But just before 10am, similar headlines resurfaced including the claim that Iran"s n...Read More

Mortgage Rates End Week on a Calm Note

5/1/2026 12:58 PM

Low volatility was the most obvious theme for mortgage rates last week. From April 14th through last Friday, the range for a top-tier 30yr fixed rate remained in an ultra-narrow range of 6.29-6.33%. That trend persisted on Monday of this week, but things changed abruptly after that. Tuesday and Wednesday saw moderately big increases that took the ...Read More

Database Mining, Commercial, PPE, Lead Gen Tools; Non-Agency Updates; Capital Markets

5/1/2026 10:45 AM

The use of down payment assistance has risen sharply over the past year and a half, especially among FHA borrowers. Participation has jumped from 7.5 percent at the start of 2025 to over 21 percent recently, near the highest levels in years, as high home prices and borrowing costs push more buyers to seek help. Despite this increase, borrowers usin...Read More

Rallying on Peace Hopes and Weaker Data

5/1/2026 9:35 AM

Bonds were almost perfectly flat during the overnight session along with oil and stock futures. Morning trading ushered in more volatility as the war-related headlines began to heat up. The most significant developments involve reports of a new peace proposal from Iran--one that potentially offers more concessions on nuclear aspirations. News is th...Read More

Bonds Recover With Oil, But Not Completely

4/30/2026 3:29 PM

Bonds Recover With Oil, But Not Completely Ever since bottoming out together on the morning of April 17th, bond yields and oil prices have been moving higher together.  The early overnight trading hours may have witnessed a bit of a "blow-off top" (fancy words that basically mean markets reversed cours...Read More

Mortgage Rates Recover Some of Yesterday"s Losses

4/30/2026 2:09 PM

Mortgage rates spiked on Wednesday (yesterday) after reports suggested a prolonged blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. As has been the case for most of the past 2 months, interest rate movement was clearly correlated with oil prices. Now today, both are moving back in the other direction though not for reasons that are as obvious as yesterday"s. The...Read More

March Housing Starts Surge 10.8% as Permits Slide

4/30/2026 1:11 PM

Residential construction activity moved in opposite directions in March, as housing starts posted a strong rebound while building permits fell sharply from the previous month’s elevated pace. The latest Census Bureau report suggests builders accelerated new projects even as future pipeline activity softened. Privately owned housing starts rose 10...Read More

Purchase Applications Rise Again Despite Higher Rates and Fewer Refis

4/30/2026 12:46 PM

Mortgage applications eased modestly last week, giving back a small portion of the prior week’s sharp gains as rates moved slightly higher. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) reported a 1.6% decrease on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week ending April 24. The pullback was driven by softer refinance demand, while purchase activity contin...Read More

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