Origination

With mortgage rates falling to their lowest level in over a year, refinance volume drove this week's increase in application activity, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Tampa Bay home sellers take note — the steady price gains of the past few years might be coming to an end.

Central Ohio home prices reached a record high in April, as eager buyers continue to compete for homes the moment a for-sale sign is posted.

The Federal Housing Administration and Ginnie Mae will use their lagging digital mortgage positions to their advantage as they put an emphasis on building their technology.

Prepayments tied to repeated VA loan refinancing activity have had an adverse effect on Ginnie’s mortgage securities that persists despite countermeasures. The government bond issuer is making new plans to address the impact.

While regulation and nonbank competition are spooking some banks, others believe low funding costs and the right relationships can help them succeed.

Sales of previously owned homes unexpectedly cooled in April, the fifth drop in six months, signaling a rocky start for the housing market this quarter amid a still-tight supply of available properties.

The era of plentiful refinance volume is over for the foreseeable future, because mortgage rates remained in a very narrow band for the past decade, said Mortgage Bankers Association Chief Economist Mike Fratantoni.

Even as he blocked a major legislative push to spur more apartment construction around public transit and in wealthy suburbs, state Sen. Anthony Portantino acknowledged the need to address a shortage of housing in California.

Single-family home prices in Orange, Los Angeles and San Diego counties changed course, climbing up in April after falling year-over-year in March.