Origination

Lenders should not get so desperate chasing volume by originating lower credit non-qualified mortgage products that they are inviting the next regulatory crackdown, said David Stevens, the Mortgage Bankers Association's CEO.

One purpose of the Senate bill was for small banks to rein in skyrocketing costs, but some bankers question whether the changes will save them money, and adapting to the reforms may even increase spending.

There is an oncoming liquidity crisis that will force consolidation in the mortgage industry as margins tighten and funding sources dry up.

Lenda, launched in 2014, currently makes mortgages start to finish in two weeks. But it's aiming to make it a process that can be finished on a borrower's lunch break.

A gauge of signed contracts to purchase previously owned homes increased in February for the first time in three months, highlighting uneven progress in the industry.

Despite growth in senior-held mortgage debt, home equity for homeowners 62 and older grew to $6.6 trillion in the fourth quarter, according to the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association and RiskSpan.

Mortgage applications increased 4.8% from one week earlier and rose for the fourth time in five weeks as key interest rates held steady, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Single-family home sales in Anchorage have remained relatively stable as people have trickled out of Alaska during the state's current recession.

Radian Group is adding 40-state title insurer and settlement services company Entitle Direct to its operations in a move aimed at complementing the geographic reach of its existing title agency.

Metro Atlanta home prices rose 6.5% during the past year, outpacing the national average and increasingly squeezing first-time home buyers.