Mortgage rates

Average mortgage rates continued the downward spiral that started before Thanksgiving and in the past week that finally boosted mortgage application activity, according to Freddie Mac.

North Texas homebuilders eased off construction in the fourth quarter as some buyers took a break from the housing market.

Lennar Corp., the first big homebuilder to report in this earnings cycle, surged after its chairman said buyer traffic improved in December as mortgage rates declined.

Continual declines in the refinance share of mortgage originations led to prepay rates dropping to their lowest levels since 2009, according to Black Knight.

Consumers reacted in a big way to falling interest rates as mortgage applications increased 23.5% from one week earlier, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Lagging construction, rising interest rates and the broader economy don't really bode well for buyers of commercial real estate, but most CRE lenders still expect originations to increase in 2019, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Older millennials and younger Generation Xers still feel the aftershock of the housing crisis, as more would rather invest in the stock market than real estate, according to Redfin.

Builder Taylor Morrison Home Corp. has launched a program that lowers the rate on its lending subsidiary's mortgages for two years through a new buydown program.

Rising home prices along with a changing perception of the U.S. economy reduced consumer confidence in the housing market to the lowest point of 2018, according to Fannie Mae.

House prices in Los Angeles and Orange counties rose in November at the slowest rate since the last housing slump ended in 2012, according to a new housing report.

Employment at nondepository mortgage companies dropped considerably in November, as the combined effects of lower volumes and seasonal slowing reduced hiring needs.

Mortgage rates started 2019 by continuing their decline but as consumers worry about the broader economy that might not help to increase home sales, according to Freddie Mac.

Despite mortgage rates continuing their two month downslide, applications decreased 9.8% from two weeks ago due to market uncertainty, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Falling mortgage rates have reached the point where they are spurring speculation about a possible resurgence in refinancing.

Rising mortgage rates are helping decelerate home price growth, which is expected to slow further during the coming year, according to CoreLogic. Consumer uncertainty in the economy due to stock market declines may also weaken house values.

It's not clear exactly what might pull investor sentiment and 10-year Treasury yields, which rates for the 30-year mortgage are benchmarked to, off the current lows.

The cost of Wells Fargo's scandals continues to rise as regulators from all 50 states forced the institution to pay hundreds of millions in penalties for the creation of fake accounts, improper enrollment in life insurance, force-placed auto insurance policies and other activities.

Contract signings to purchase previously owned homes unexpectedly fell for a second month in November, offering yet another sign that the housing market is struggling.

As mortgage rates fall alongside the stock market back to their low levels of the summer, home sales could ultimately benefit, according to Freddie Mac.

The mortgage industry heads into 2019 with little relief from the market strains of the past three years. To succeed — or at least survive — lenders must confront major questions about demand, affordability and market consolidation.