Daily Dose

One case in the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's portfolio has many in the mortgage industry questioning whether or not the organization's power and authority is used unjustly. Unlike other government agencies, the power of the agency is left on one man's shoulders: CFPB Director Richard Cordray.

Although interest rates have been at historical lows, they are significantly up from 2012 lows. Not only has this caused many eligible refinancers to shy away from the market, but originators' profits are also suffering.

It is now more than seven years since the housing crisis hit, and settlements over claims of residential mortgage-backed securities are still alive and well.

Low mortgage rates present opportunities for homeowners to refinance their homes, but recent data and analysis shows that they are not taking advantage of billions of dollars in savings.

Home prices have been consistently rising for the last few years, but it looks like that slow growth housing market that economists have been predicting for 2016 may have started early.

Existing-home sales blew the mortgage industry away last week, with the largest month-over-month increase ever as TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure (TRID) rule delays finally started to pass. This week, the spotlight will shift to December's new home sales.

The Atlanta-based bank is no longer burdened by legal matters and it showed in their 2015 fourth quarter and year-end earnings.

The classic back-and-forth between renting and buying is not expected to cease anytime soon, but there may be a slight improvement in 2016.

After suffering a major drop in November 2015, existing-home sales turned the tables back toward favor with the largest monthly increase ever recorded in December.

Mortgage rates have only headed one direction since the Fed's decision in December to raise rates by 0.25 percent. Freddie Mac says the falling rates reflect the tumultuous global economy and weak inflation.