Origination

Millennials are on the verge of becoming the largest cohort of homebuyers. If lenders want to gain and retain their trust, they must start by recruiting a younger, more diverse and gender-balanced workforce.

Mortgage applications rose last week, with refinancings surpassing 64% of all applications, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Real estate and rental marketplace Zillow is rolling out a new national ad campaign helmed in part by an Academy Award-winning filmmaker.

New-home construction unexpectedly cooled in January, indicating there is a limit to how much gains in residential real estate will boost growth at the start of 2016.

Home equity portfolios have shrunk at banks, but credit unions and nonbank lenders like loanDepot helped fuel the surge in home equity lines last year.

Waterstone Mortgage Corp. has introduced a zero-down, 7/1 adjustable-rate mortgage with a 20-year amortization.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has launched a new initiative, called the Fair Housing Enforcement Program, aimed at targeting discrimination in rental and home sale transactions.

There is concern that a decline in condo pricing could create loan problems similar to those that cropped up before the financial crisis. Bankers in the area, however, believe foreign investors would take the biggest hit.

National Mortgage News readers share their views on the most pressing mortgage and housing topics of the month. Comments are excerpted from reader response sections of NationalMortgageNews.com articles and our social media platforms.

The cost of capital and regulatory compliance has convinced the top four banks that making home loans to American families is not worth the risk.