Mortgage rates

Nonbank mortgage companies have traditionally been monoline or focused businesses, but in the current market they must create multiple revenue lines and strike a healthy balance between them to survive.

Lenders can help both the consumer save money and their own volumes by offering the most competitive rates or reducing their fees. Here's a look at the 12 housing markets borrowers save the most over the life of their loan by shopping around for a mortgage, according to LendingTree.

An increase in purchase activity drove the week-over-week rise in mortgage application volume as homebuyers entered the market while interest rates fell, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Dallas-Fort Worth is still the country's top homebuilding market.

Consumer expectations of further mortgage rate drops leaves them seemingly in no rush to enter the purchase market which could be why their optimism on home buying is falling, a Fannie Mae report said.

Home price appreciation remained modest as affordability and tight inventory keep demand down, though prices are expected to accelerate in 2020, according to CoreLogic.

Regions Bank, like many lenders, has seen its refinancing volume shrink dramatically as a percentage of overall originations over the last few years, prompting it to refocus its mortgage bankers on very different purchase originations.

Customer retention for mortgage servicers hit an all-time low at the start of the year, and a sensitive mortgage rate environment is only creating more competition, according to Black Knight.

Tight housing inventory and some unexpected behaviors from potential buyers and sellers of homes have prompted Citizens Bank to make changes to its services and mortgage-loan products.

It's been a dreary spring for many homebuilders in the Twin Cities.