JPMorgan Chase

Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase had reduced mortgage-related earnings in the fourth quarter as home loan activity continues to fall short of expectations.

From a housing market in turmoil and the technology to save it to the myriad new faces in both the industry and Washington, here's a look back at some of the biggest and most read mortgage and housing stories of 2018.

Orlando real estate broker Geo Geovanni, 49, was found guilty in federal court of one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and three counts of bank fraud, the U.S. Attorney's office announced.

If the predictions prove correct, the benchmark rate would reach 3.50% by the end of next year.

Most millennials are purchasing fixer-uppers in order to afford a house, with 75% planning to finance renovations by tapping the equity in their home, according to a Chase Home Lending report conducted with Pinterest.

A Queens, N.Y., man who helped defraud mortgage lending units at Bank of America, Chase Bank and AmTrust is now facing 21 months in prison and three years of supervised release.

The result could play a big role in whether banks see more regulatory relief next year or policymakers can coalesce around a housing finance reform plan.

Rising mortgage interest rates not only will continue to constrain banks' once-robust revenue from this business, they will also affect existing borrower credit quality, a report from Moody's said.

Providing borrowers with an incentive to create financial reserves after closing is a better tool to prevent mortgage loan defaults than measures taken at underwriting, a JPMorgan Chase Institute study declared.

Mortgage-related earnings at five banks were lower due to the effect of higher interest rates on loan volume this year, even though late-season homebuyers improved consecutive-quarter origination numbers at three companies.