Mortgage rates

Rising home prices are likely to constrain affordability for some time to come, with only the current low mortgage interest rate environment softening the blow, Attom Data Solutions said.

September has been the most volatile month since March when it comes to 30-year conforming mortgage rates, with average weekly movements of 11 basis points up or down, according to Freddie Mac.

Contract signings to purchase previously owned homes rebounded in August by more than forecast, helped by low mortgage rates and continued household income gains.

The recent run of lower interest rates may bode well for today's commercial mortgage-backed securities, unless it's undermined by an increase in leverage, according to Fitch Ratings.

It looks like lower mortgage rates are helping lure Americans who are buying the priciest properties.

The recent spike in mortgage interest rates reduced home purchase application activity last week, contributing to a 10.1% decline in total activity, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Orange County, Calif., may be on the verge of seeing a gain in home sales for the first time in more than a year, new CoreLogic figures show.

Foreclosure starts dropped to their lowest level in 18 years, and properties foreclosed on but not yet sold fell to a 14-year low in August, according to Black Knight.

The number of mortgage holders with refinancing potential dropped by 1.5 million as the average long-term rate for home loans continued to rise, according to Black Knight.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency is ending a Freddie Mac pilot that posed a competitive threat to the private market for mortgage servicing rights financing.