Origination

As the war for talent heats up and lenders face tougher decisions in recruiting and hiring loan officers, the need to deploy certain tactics might seem appealing, but will ultimately create more problems than they are worth.

There should be contractual agreements in place between mortgage companies and loan officers that clearly define what, if any, customer information loan officers can bring from former employers to new ones.

Its results were affected by the costs related to shutting the delinquent loan services business.

People's United Financial in Bridgeport, Conn., reported higher first-quarter profits as it increased lending for both commercial and residential real estate.

Rates for the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose slightly last week, as recent figures showing an active home-sales market suggest homebuyers are taking advantage of current conditions, according to Freddie Mac.

Home prices rose 0.4% in February from the prior month, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency, as job growth fueled demand for a scant supply of listings.

Home sellers realized a 17% average gain in price in March, the highest average gain since December 2007, according to RealtyTrac.

Competitive pricing and softening demand at the high end of the apartment- and condo-building market had executives at BankUnited, Signature and New York Community answering tough questions about their growth projections and diversification strategies.

The time to close residential mortgage loans continues to drop, falling an average of two days in March from the previous month, Ellie Mae reported.

Total mortgage applications increased last week, due to an increase in refinance applications, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.