Mortgage rates

Houses selling well at lower price points are likely to encourage the creation of more entry-level homes, according to a new report by the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo.

Sentiment among homebuilders held steady in March, sustaining a rebound from a recent three-year low on improvement in sales and a brighter outlook for the next six months.

A strong spring home purchase season could reverse the downward trends in single-family construction and remodeling activity and help deter an economic downturn, a report from BuildFax said.

Portland-area home sales picked up in February from a winter slump, but remained cooler than the same time a year ago.

Commercial and multifamily mortgage debt outstanding grew 6.8% in 2018, benefiting from strong employment numbers and strained inventory, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Home sale prices posted their smallest annual gain since March 2012 and mortgage rates have declined, leaving bidders less inclined to race for a deal, but at the same time, a cooler housing market suggests more consumers may be willing to explore homeownership.

Having an all-digital process results in lower customer satisfaction for home equity line of credit providers than an all in-person or a mix of methods, a J.D. Power survey found.

Sales of new homes in January fell to the weakest pace since October, driven by a decline in the Midwest as still-elevated prices keep buyers on the sidelines.

Mortgage rates declined across the board this week, which should make home buying more attractive although there are continuing concerns about inventory, according to Freddie Mac.

Real estate experts think homebuilders should prevent natural disasters with better strategies, but this could drive up already rising prices and hurt buyer affordability, according to Zillow.

American Banker and National Mortgage News are offering an exclusive discussion of how policymakers may revamp Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and what that will mean for mortgage lenders of all sizes.

From New York to Seattle, here's a look at cities with the best homebuyer purchasing power for the upcoming competitive spring market, based on changes in house values compared to local wages and mortgage rates.

Falling interest rates contributed to efforts that helped Hovnanian Enterprises nearly halve its net loss during its fiscal first quarter, when it maintained a strong sales pace by selling more low-priced homes.

Consumers have much more confidence in the job market than they do on housing, and home prices could be the culprit, according to Fannie Mae.

As 2019 got underway, weakness in the housing market drove the number of workers employed by nondepository mortgage companies down to a low not seen since August 2016.

New-home construction rebounded by more than expected in January amid strength in single-family starts and a nine-month high for permits, signaling the market is stabilizing thanks to lower mortgage rates.

Despite the pool of refinance candidates shrinking 30% from late 2017, the incentive for mortgage borrowers to refi shot up at the start of the year on interest rate declines, according to Black Knight.

Mr. Cooper Group took a net loss of $136 million in the fourth quarter after lower rates hurt the mark-to-market value of its larger mortgage servicing rights portfolio harder than its peers.

The increase in average mortgage rates this week should not affect the spring home purchase market because other factors remain strong, according to Freddie Mac.

Millennial homebuyers took advantage of a winter lull in interest rates, using the opportunity to refinance their loans, according to Ellie Mae.