Origination

Assurant and its American Title subsidiary are adapting hybrid title and appraisal products used in the home equity market to the first-lien mortgage market on a test basis.

Urban condo living exists in Cleveland, but the supply is small.

Developer confidence in multifamily production weakened in the third quarter to its lowest reading since 2011, according to the National Association of Home Builders.

Florida's home prices increased during September, while in Texas there was a minimal decline from August, a sign the major storms that hit both states had little impact on values.

Purchases of new homes unexpectedly advanced in broad fashion last month, reaching the strongest pace in a decade and offering an encouraging signal for residential construction.

President Trump has tapped Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney as interim head of the CFPB. He has taken tough stances on the CFPB, its payday lending rule, housing finance reform and other issues pending before the agency.

Sometimes reaching underserved borrowers takes experimenting with changes to the mortgage finance system. That's why Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are working with lenders to test innovative loan products that meet borrowers' evolving needs.

When data doesn't tell the whole story about untapped market opportunities, mortgage executives must draw on their personal experiences and local expertise to craft unique strategies to reach new borrowers.

With mortgage originations on the decline, lenders that want to regain lost volume or grow market share must work harder to identify and reach underserved borrower segments.

Federal Reserve officials meeting earlier this month saw an interest-rate increase in the near term even as divisions persisted over the policy path forward amid tepid inflation.