PHH Webinar Series; Agencies to Buy One Month's Worth of Production - Similar to 2020; In-Person Events for 2026 A frequent topic in this Commentary is how lenders are responsible for only a small portion of the affordability issue. A big hit to affordability is insurance, and thank you to Kevin K. for passing along this story focused on fire resilience and home upgrades and how they may address insurance costs. Trying to plan for natural events is a full-time job that occupies many, as is thinking about t ...

Fewer Americans are applying for mortgages despite lower rates — even as lending standards tighten — signaling that high prices and financial pressures are outweighing modest rate relief. For the week ending Jan. 2, mortgage applications fell 9.7% from two weeks earlier, a steep drop marking a new low to close out 2025, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) latest Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey. That’s a roughly 10% decline, meaning fewer people are trying to buy or refinance homes. ...