July 2026 Mortgage Market Data, New Industry Trends & Virtual Economist Forecasts | 8.11.26

In this episode of Optimal Insights, Alex Hebner and James Cahill break down the latest economic developments influencing mortgage markets, including labor market conditions, inflation data, energy prices, and shifting expectations for Federal Reserve policy.The conversation then turns to the July 2026 Market Advantage Report, where Mike Vough and Brennan O'Connell unveil new mortgage market intelligence, including four new data visualizations and the introduction of forecasts from Optimal Blue's Virtual Economist.Listeners will gain insight into July mortgage lock activity, purchase and refinance trends, mortgage rate movements, the growing role of non-QM lending, ARM utilization, servicing retention behavior, specified payup eligibility, and secondary market execution trends. The team also discusses how Virtual Economist forecasts are helping market participants better understand potential mortgage rate and primary-secondary spread trends over the next 12 months.Key Topics CoveredJuly 2026 mortgage lock volume and lending activityFederal Reserve outlook, inflation, and labor market dynamicsMortgage rate trends across major loan productsIntroduction of Virtual Economist forecastsNon-QM lending surpassing 10% market shareNew Market Advantage Report data and analyticsSpecified payup opportunities and pipeline trendsServicing valuations and retention strategiesSecondary market execution and hedge positioningOptimal Insights TeamAlex Hebner, Hedge Account ManagerJames Cahill, MSF/MSR Account ManagerMike Vough, SVP, Corporate StrategyBrennan O'Connell, Director of Data SolutionsProduction TeamExecutive Producer: Sara HoltzProducers: Matt Gilhooly & Alex KreuterCommentary included in the podcast shall not be construed as, nor is Optimal Blue providing, any legal, trading, hedging, or financial advice.Mentioned in this episode:Is Your PPE Helping – or Holding You Back?Small delays can become everyday obstacles. If your team relies on workarounds, extra verification steps, or manual processes to keep loans moving, it may be time to rethink your pricing engine. Discover what a modern PPE should deliver – from real-time accuracy and intelligent automation to seamless workflow execution. Learn more today. Explore the Optimal Blue PPE - https://www2.optimalblue.com/optimalblueppe