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Refinance volume dropped lower in May 2015, but remained above levels recorded in 2014, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency's (FHFA) May 2015 Refinance Report. The report also found that mortgage rates increased in May, with the average interest rate on a 30 year fixed-rate mortgage reaching 3.84 percent.

New low down payment initiatives extend homeownership opportunities to qualified borrowers who might otherwise be locked out. According to Freddie Mac's July U.S. Housing Market Insight & Outlook, pre-crisis low payment underwriting allowed layered risk, while post-crisis low payment underwriting controls credit risk by requiring features that reduce risk. Pre-crisis payments were variable, while post-crisis payments are predictable.

A ruling in the Federal Claims Court on Tuesday made by Judge Margaret Sweeney will force the U.S. Treasury to disclose all of Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s conservatorship documents. Over 10,000 discovery documents will be released to the United States District Court of Appeals in Washington D.C. and the United States District Court. Fairholme Funds made the request in court against the GSEs, claiming that their investor ownership stake was taken unlawfully from them by the government when the conservatorship occurred. Fairholme's efforts are a step toward getting their ownership stake returned to them.

U.S. private mortgage insurers are expected to continue benefiting from economic growth, good house price affordability, and strong mortgage credit quality. According to Moody's Investors Service, PMIs have been positioned in a favorable housing finance environment that will allow them to reap the benefits in the industry, even if the Federal Reserve increases interest rates.

After years of post-crisis credit tightening, the availability of mortgage credit has slowly edged up from Q3 2013 to Q1 2015. The Urban Institute’s Housing Finance Policy Center reported that 4.6 percent of purchase loans that are likely to default increased to 5.7 percent, according to the Housing Credit Availability Index.

Fitch Ratings confirmed that borrower-focused company, RoundPoint Mortgage Servicing Corporation's residential mortgage servicer ratings have been adjusted. Fitch determined that RoundPoint's U.S. residential primary servicer rating for subprime product is 'RPS3+' and the U.S. residential special servicer rating is 'RSS3+'. In addition, the rating outlooks have been revised to 'negative' from 'stable.'

While there has been a massive amount of conversation about the future roles of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the conversation often fails to address what these GSEs' government mortgage programs do for the mortgage market. Urban Institute recently released a report, identifying how programs like the Federal Housing Administration, the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, and the Government National Mortgage Association impact the mortgage market.

Consumers that are looking to purchase a home must consider the varying mortgage rates and home prices in different states. GOBankingRates recently released a report, ranking all the states according to where it's easiest and cheapest to get a mortgage. The company reviewed all 50 states based on the local rates offered on 15-and 30-year fixed-rate mortgages in the first quarter of 2015, weighted with the average home listing price in the state.

JPMorgan Chase & Co agreed to pay $388 million to resolve a lawsuit by investors who claimed that the U.S. bank provided misleading information about the safety of $10 billion worth of residential mortgage-backed securities it sold before the financial crisis, according to multiple media reports.

The first-time buyer share in April, May, and June was launched to new highs, supported by improvements in the labor market, riskier mortgage lending, and continuing low mortgage rates. The American Enterprise Institute International Center on Housing Risk recently released a report, finding that first-time buyers account for 58.8 percent of primary owner-occupied home purchase mortgages with a government guarantee. In addition, AEI determined that the Agency First-Time Buyer Mortgage Risk Index stood at a series record of 15.83 percent