Origination

Rent increases have slowed across the metro area and have even fallen in some areas, according to the apartment industry association Multifamily NW.

Lawmakers from both political parties are increasingly interested in forcing lenders that offer loans to upgrade home heating and cooling systems to issue better disclosures, a prospect that has some in the industry nervous.

The hand-wringing over business lending has overshadowed the fact that consumer lending — particularly for regional banks — has become a strong and steady engine of growth.

Bank of America's year-over-year loan growth was slow, but parts of its commercial and U.S. consumer businesses were strong, prompting optimism from the CEO in the face of lackluster numbers across banking so far this earnings season.

The real estate investment trust has become a regular issuer, relying on a strategy of exercising "clean-up calls" on older mortgage bonds that it services.

Homebuilders looking for single-family construction loans may have better luck with small and midsize banks than larger ones, according to a report by the National Association of Home Builders.

For Twin Cities home sellers, it was the best March in more than a decade. For many buyers, it was one of the most demoralizing.

New-home construction cooled in March to a four-month low as starts of single-family properties settled back from the strongest pace in almost a decade.

The Birmingham, Ala., company's profit climbed 8% as higher market interest rates and investment securities balances offset lower average loan balances.

The Columbus, Ga., company also announced late Monday that it is buying the credit card assets and brokered deposits of the retailer Cabela's and will then sell the card portfolio to Capital One.