Origination

New-home construction climbed in June to the second-highest level since November 2007 as builders stepped up work on apartment projects.

Umpqua Holdings in Portland, Ore., reported higher second-quarter profit, citing lower merger costs and growth in residential real estate lending and equipment finance.

Webster Financial in Waterbury, Conn., reported second-quarter profit of $50.5 million, a 12% jump from a year ago, as mortgage banking revenue improved.

Wintrust Financial in Rosemont, Ill. reported higher second-quarter profit due to loan portfolio growth and higher mortgage banking revenues.

Mortgage applications for new-home purchases rose 1% during June compared with the previous month as housing prices continue to recover, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

The Cleveland company, which this spring said it had decided to start originating its own mortgage loans again, shared more details on the start date of this new effort and the rationale behind it.

Foreclosure volume was down 3% for the first six months of 2015 compared with the same time span last year, a new report from analytics firm RealtyTrac found.

Citigroup's combined gain-on-sale and mortgage servicing revenue increased by 34% in the second quarter over the same period last year.

Incorporating bill and rental payment data into consumer credit scores would be a boon for underserved Americans. New legislation in Congress could help credit reporting agencies realize this goal.

Confidence among homebuilders held in July at the highest level since November 2005, indicating the residential real estate market may be picking up speed.