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A new startup launched in the Bay Area says it can help buyers survive the region's cutthroat housing market by doing away with one of its biggest hurdles — a massive down payment.

With refinance activity rising to its highest level in three years, mortgage application volume increased 26.8% from one week earlier, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Home sales in Baltimore plunged in May amid the recent ransomware attack on city government computers, including those essential for completing real estate transactions.

The agency’s new guidance would limit some nonprofits’ ability to help borrowers pay their down payments, leading to higher home costs.

Prepayment speeds for loans included in agency mortgage-backed securities were up approximately 20% both monthly and annually during May as the decline in interest rates boosted activity, according to Keefe, Bruyette & Woods.

As purchase applications stall in the heart of home buying season despite mortgage rates nearing two-year lows, lenders continued to loosen credit standards in May, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

North Texas home sales gave their best showing of the year in May.

While April saw an increase in condominium sales, May saw an increase in sales of family homes in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Lenders are turning to the Farm Service Agency to backstop more loans as their Midwestern customers are beset by flooding in addition to the U.S. trade war with China and volatile crop prices. Can the FSA meet the increased demand?

Appraisals are viewed as a choke point in the mortgage process. As the ranks of appraisers dwindle and technology advances, a new, AI-driven approach may not be far off.