Kristin Broughton

Mortgage rates edged up slightly over the past week, Freddie Mac said in its weekly market survey.

DocMagic, a loan preparation company in Torrance, Calif., has agreed to acquire Doc-Tech, a mortgage documentation firm in Palatine, Ill.

Mortgage credit availability increased last month, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

National MI, a private mortgage insurance company in Emeryville, Calif., has named Jay Sherwood as president.

Consumers were more optimistic about their ability to buy a home in November compared to the previous month, according to Fannie Mae.

Lereta, a real estate tax firm in Covina, Calif., has acquired Industry Consulting Group, a property tax services company with offices in Dallas and Wichita Falls, Texas.

PennyMac formed the new division to provide multifamily and other commercial loans under $10 million.

Principal reductions for underwater borrowers would cost approximately $89 billion, according to Black Knight.

The Federal Housing Finance Administration has advised private mortgage insurers that it will delay the release of revised capital standards.

Interest rates for conforming mortgages have fallen to their lowest level in over a year and a half, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Home prices rose 6.1% in October from a year earlier, representing 32 consecutive months of appreciation, according to CoreLogic.

Fidelity National Financial, a title insurance company based in Jacksonville, Fla., has agreed to acquire BPG Holdings, a home warranty firm in Alpharetta, Ga.

Delinquency rates for commercial and multifamily mortgages declined in the third quarter, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Freddie Mac announced its first K-deal that includes a manufactured housing community loan.

Solutionstar, a mortgage technology company, has agreed to acquire Title365, an insurance information provider, for $36 million in cash.

Altisource Portfolio Solutions, a mortgage technology company in Luxembourg, has acquired Owners.com, an online property listings service in San Francisco, for $20 million.

Experian said that the average nationwide credit score climbed 2 points from last year, to 666.

The company will launch a nationwide branding campaign in the first quarter of next year.

Mortgage rates fell slightly compared to last week, according to Freddie Mac.

Home values in major metro areas across the country continued to climb in October, according to Quicken Loans.