Origination

Fannie and Freddie should offer upfront risk-sharing options in order to give lenders an opportunity to lower their guarantee fees while encouraging more private capital and competition to flow into the secondary mortgage market.

The details of the final Des-Moines-Seattle Home Loan Bank deal made it clear why this merger worked when past attempts had not and gave clues as to whether other institutions could one day follow suit. Following are three items that jumped out.

Hovnanian Enterprises fell the most since 2011 after Chief Executive Officer Ara Hovnanian said he was disappointed following a widening in the company's quarterly loss and drop in its profit margin.

The gap between how much homeowners think their home is worth compared to appraisers' values has grown wider, according to a Quicken Loans report.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's "qualified mortgage" rule has put a damper on the recovery of the housing market, according to an American Bankers Association survey.

The New York City Housing Development Corp. board approved a $680 million inaugural sustainable neighborhood bond transaction, expected to price next week.

Coastal Banking in Beaufort, S.C., has promoted the head of its mortgage banking division to president of CBC National Bank.

Cerberus Capital Management is buying about 4,200 U.S. houses, expanding its foray into home rentals in the industry's largest bulk purchase.

Community Investment Corp. has raised $200 million from about three dozen banks to acquire and rehabilitate thousands of affordable rental-housing units in the Chicago area.

Small banks and nonbank lenders are originating commercial mortgages with lower credit quality than the loans originated by large banks, according to a Fitch Ratings report.