Chrisman Commentary - Daily Mortgage News

Driven by near-year-high interest rates and a lack of borrower incentive, a broadening slowdown in MBA mortgage applications is being led by a sharp, government-borrower-led decline in refinance activity that could ultimately drag monthly gross MBS issuance below $100 billion by the end of the year. Robbie interviews FirstClose’s Adam Nicholson on how faster cycle times directly impact pull-through and funded volume. And driv...

Despite consumer challenges, housing demand remains resilient, with record homeowner equity and rapidly growing borrowing activity increasingly being captured by nonbanks, creating a widening competitive and operational gap for traditional banks and credit unions. Robbie interviews mLoop’s Ellen Duncan on how data and AI can modernize LO–lender matching and what lenders must do to attract top producers. And last week&rs...

August prepayments strengthened the view that the 2026 refinance wave has peaked, with Fannie 30-year speeds falling 12 percent to 7.1 CPR and Ginnie II also slowing, leaving subdued near-term runoff and greater extension risk, while higher-coupon VA pools and recent Ginnie vintages remain the key latent prepayment risks if mortgage rates decline materially. Robbie interviews Agile’s Greg Vacura on connecting mortgage lenders...

Private mortgage insurers say they are operationally and financially prepared for the transition to VantageScore 4.0, but lenders will need to ensure their systems correctly identify and transmit the new credit-score model, while uncertainty around FHFA’s potential move away from tri-merge credit reporting and other informal policy changes is creating stress and uncertainty across the GSE mortgage ecosystem. Robbie interviews...

Rocket is again getting ahead of FHFA by raising conforming loan limits early, potentially to around $853,400, giving lenders a competitive opportunity to capture incremental agency volume and pull borrowers from jumbo financing while weighing the funding, hedging, and basis risk of holding those loans until the new limits become officially deliverable. Robbie interviews Curinos' Ken Flaherty and Rich Martin on the growing home-equ...

FICO shares fell 17 percent after FHFA Director Bill Pulte immediately expanded mortgage-lender access to rival VantageScore, intensifying competition and raising concerns about FICO’s dominance and credit-bureau pricing. Robbie interviews PCV Murcor's David Schiffmayer on the significance of UAD 3.6, who needs to prepare, where organizations should invest, its impact on appraisal efficiency and complexity, and the key miscon...

The world is aging at an unprecedented pace, with the U.S. share of adults 65+ projected to rise from 18.9 percent in 2025 to 23.4 percent by 2060, signaling major long-term implications for lenders, investors, and retirement-focused financial markets. Robbie interviews RETR’s Steven Wynands on putting mortgage and real estate data in the hands of originators and lenders. And Fed Governor Waller favors holding rates steady ab...

Rocket Mortgage is aggressively targeting UWM brokers with its “Moving Squad” program and $10,000 referral bonuses amid RESPA compliance questions, while NEXA Lending expands through the acquisition of Mortgage Nerds and its VA-loan education mission. Robbie interviews NRMLA's Steve Irwin on the reverse mortgage space. And the Fed remains cautious about easing as resilient financial conditions and modest economic growth...

A global government-bond sell-off, fueled by heavy borrowing, widening deficits, persistent inflation, and surging corporate debt issuance tied to AI investment, is pushing bond yields and borrowing costs (including mortgages) higher across major economies. Robbie interviews Lender Toolkit’s Brett Brumley on the proper due diligence necessary with counterparties in the artificial intelligence era. And the Iran war is driving ...

As Q3 2026 progresses amid weak homebuying demand, stubborn rates, and roughly $11K origination costs, lenders are focused on improving pull-through while adapting their products, originator base, and investor strategies to shifting demographics, rental-market trends, and the growing share of childless households. Robbie interviews Zillow's Meg McGrath Vaccaro on Zillow Home Loans’ AI strategy: from helping buyers and automat...

More than 100 community-based fair housing organizations facing potential funding cuts received a reprieve after a federal judge in Massachusetts blocked HUD’s FY2025 funding overhaul and ordered the agency to distribute funds under the prior year’s framework, averting the risk of closures or sharply reduced services nationwide. Robbie interviews Two Dots’ Henson Orser on the wave of innovative tech products and v...

Mortgage innovation should focus not on digitizing outdated workflows, but on rethinking the loan lifecycle around trusted data, intelligent decisioning, automation, governance, and better borrower experiences to improve risk management and decision-making. Robbie interviews Figure’s Alysse Guitar on marketing lending products in a digital environment where both trust and attention spans are waning. And we close with why MBS ...

The mortgage industry has a packed schedule of conferences and events from September 2026 through June 2027, covering lending, compliance, AI, technology, finance, and networking across the U.S., making early flight and travel planning essential as costs rise. Robbie interviews MIAC’s Dan Libby on the long-term drivers of MSR value, portfolio construction, and hedging effectiveness. And we close with why bond markets remain c...

The mortgage industry is increasingly recognizing that the homeowner relationship should extend well beyond origination, using servicing, home equity, insurance, partnerships, and other solutions to stay relevant to borrowers, creating lasting value across changing financial circumstances. Robbie interviews Experian’s Michele Bodda on lenders engaging earlier, providing better education, and using modern credit data to h...

Technology is transforming industries while creating new risks around AI’s impact on education, liability, and accountability, leaving lenders to determine how best to use it to augment employees rather than replace them. Robbie interviews Deluxe’s Adria Liss on how the Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act (HPPA) is reshaping mortgage marketing around privacy, compliance, and smarter targeting, making data governance and a...

Mortgage servicing can create significant wealth, so concentration risk matters, especially as sharp declines in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac shares and leadership departures at Fannie raise concerns that political and organizational uncertainty could undermine the stability of the housing finance system. Robbie interviews Tidalwave’s Chris McLendon on why the question lenders should ask isn't "Does it use AI?" It's "Can you pr...

Prospective homebuyers should focus on what they can control: saving as much as possible for a down payment, distinguishing needs from wants, considering more affordable locations or compromises, and shopping multiple lenders to secure the lowest mortgage rate they qualify for. Robbie interviews NonQMVerifi’s Danny Flucke on how lenders can make faster, better-supported underwriting decisions without relying on hard-to-obtain...

The broader “follow the money” theme is hard to ignore: U.S. national debt has surpassed $40 trillion while lawmakers are questioning whether a significantly downsized HUD has enough capacity to implement the new housing law, highlighting the growing gap between Washington’s ambitious policy goals and the government’s ability to execute them. Robbie interviews Renovo Financial’s James Gaskin on why rel...

Mortgage lenders continued their recovery in Q2 2026, with average production profits rising to $973 per loan and 85 percent of surveyed companies remaining profitable, driven primarily by meaningful reductions in production costs that more than offset declining revenue, while servicing income also improved modestly. Robbie interviews Polly’s Brandon Story on differentiators among capital markets technology providers. And we ...