Origination

After a jump in May home sales, North Texas housing activity retreated in June.

Home sales in metro Baton Rouge, La., were practically unchanged for the first half of 2019, with three more houses being sold than during the same period in 2018.

Higher interest rates led to a 1.1% seasonally adjusted decline in mortgage applications compared with the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

New-home construction fell in June for a second month as a drop in apartment building outweighed a pickup in single-family projects.

Millennials flooded the mortgage market to refinance on lower rates, but the industry couldn't manage activity as quickly, according to Ellie Mae.

The Minneapolis bank reported growth across several lending and noninterest income categories in the second quarter, which offset net interest margin pressures and declining deposit service fees.

Members from states threatened by storms say their proposal is better for consumers than recent legislation passed by the House Financial Services Committee.

Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase recorded stronger mortgage originations in the second quarter as rates fell, but profits from single-family loans were lower than a year ago due to decreased servicing revenue.

Homebuilders' optimism increased as low mortgage rates fueled demand. However, affordability constraints and the continuing scarcity of construction workers and land parcels remain concerns.

Fannie Mae increased its mortgage origination forecast as lower interest rates, driven by economic uncertainty, will lead to more refinance activity, but other factors will continue to hold back home purchases.