February 2026

Oregon’s Willamette Valley Bank announced it is exiting mortgage lending, pointing to challenges facing small institutions and macroeconomic concerns behind its decision.  Processing Content The community bank, based in Salem, Oregon, will formally end residential lending operations on March 31. Along with four full-service branches across the state, Willamette Valley also runs five designated home […]

Mortgage rates for the 30-year fixed loan finally broke below the 6% mark this past week, Freddie Mac reported, as the spread with the 10-year Treasury got below 200 basis points. Processing Content However, the 15-year fixed rate mortgage rose by a relatively large 9 basis points from the week of Feb. 19. “For the

The fourth quarter earnings were a mixed bag among the publicly traded companies, especially at the nation’s No. 1 underwriter. Lower rates did not translate to increased open orders during the period, as normal seasonal patterns on quarter-to-quarter volume applied. But three of the big four did have higher year-over-year activity. While the title segment