Originations

The FHFA's ACV condo insurance rollback gets the balance right between affordability and safety, even if politics muddied the waters, the chairman of Whalen Global Advisors writes.

The average annual premium is projected to increase 4% to about $3,057 this year, after jumping 12% in 2025, according to Insurify, an online insurance comparison site.

The average loss from the two categories is almost seven times higher than the mean amount for all other types, according to research from ALTA and Milliman.

While all six companies were profitable in the third quarter, most had earnings which were down from the prior periods, with MGIC setting a milestone.

Kin, a direct-to-consumer insurance provider, has started a mortgage broker in Florida which also takes loan applications through a call center or online.

The title industry sustained improvement first seen last year, with second-quarter premium totals up on both a quarterly and annual basis, ALTA said.

Premiums for property insurance have risen over 69% since 2019, far outpacing other components of the monthly mortgage payment, ICE Mortgage Technology found.

The U.S. Mortgage Insurers put out a blog promising its members would be ready to accept submissions for coverage which were scored using VantageScore.

Numbers on use and performance point to potential for nonpublic insurers to take on a greater role but also suggest there are limits to it, Fitch Ratings found.

April was a mixed bag for title companies, executives said on earnings calls, but some are expecting a stronger market the rest of the year.

Lumber retains protections for now, but construction stocks still fell, and while the initial market reaction lowered rates, there could later be a reversal.

Publicly traded lenders, including UWM, Rocket Mortgage and Guild Mortgage, saw personnel expenses increase significantly throughout last year.

The postponement would pertain to Federal Housing Administration-insured single- and multifamily loans and other final determination dates that have not passed.

The increase in refinance originations in the fourth quarter trickled down to the title insurers, which reported year-over-year gains in new orders.

As homeowners insurance becomes expensive and hard to find, mortgage loan officers should work closely with insurance agents, said Travis Hodges of Viu by Hub.

The private mortgage insurers reported just 5% less business versus the third quarter and 33% more new insurance written over the fourth quarter 2023.

The consortium of businesses intends to work with state regulators to protect consumers as interest from secondary market investors also grows.

The nation's largest homeowners insurance providers imposed rate hikes in double-digit percentages last year, led by Farmers' 53.5% increase in Maryland.

Premium volume increased by 5.3% year-over-year, while operating income was up, but industry expenses also rose in the third quarter, the American Land Title Association said.

Continued reductions by the Federal Reserve in short-term interest rates should benefit mortgage volume, and thus title insurance activity, Fitch Ratings said.