The past few years have been red hot for the mortgage refinance business at banks like Wells Fargo (WFC 1.24%) and JPMorgan Chase (JPM 1.94%). Low rates have created an environment where it made sense for virtually anyone to trade in their higher rate from years past for a new low fixed-rate loan.
But as rates have started to rise, banks must now find ways to buoy the mortgage businesses without the benefit of constant refinances coming in the door. The hope for mortgage lenders is that the burgeoning recovery in new home purchases can bolster mortgage volumes as the refi-boom winds down.
In the video below, Motley Fool contributor Jay Jenkins discusses positive data just released from the Federal Housing Administration. The FHA's data indicates that for traditional banks like Bank of America (BAC 2.06%) to non traditional lenders like MetLife Bank (subsidiary of insurance company MetLife (MET 1.20%), it's still possible to originate profitable loans without sacrificing quality.
