Origination

First American Financial agreed to pay the New York Attorney General $4.5 million to resolve no-poaching agreement allegations; Old Republic, the first, paid just $1 million.

Even though it is less than two years since it allowed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to accept such valuations, it is difficult to evaluate their effectiveness without such examinations.

The company posted third-quarter profits of $194 million but gave no details about a potential split of its mortgage business.

The Hicksville, New York, company beat analysts' expectations on net interest income, but a pair of souring office loans contributed to a 68% increase in nonperforming loans from the prior quarter.

For the first time in about 15 months, more new listings came on the market in August on a year-over-year basis, Redfin said.

The median monthly amount on new purchase applications fell for the first time since early summer, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

At the same time, the 15-year fixed rate loan rose above 7% for the first time in nearly 23 years, Freddie Mac reported.

The National Association of Realtors' index of contract signings increased 1.1% from a month earlier to 72.6, the group reported Thursday.

That's the higher-end estimate of people who will be eligible for government-related financing when expanded metrics are used as part of an initiative to expand access to homeownership.

After regulators deemed special-purpose credit programs compliant with housing law, their numbers have grown, but lenders are still trying to determine the best way to develop them and achieve their intended purpose.