Origination

The Federal Home Loan banks of Seattle and Des Moines announced Thursday that their boards have unanimously approved a definitive agreement to merge.

Black Knight Financial Services has added new features to its loan origination system designed to further automate mortgage lending and compliance.

Mortgage rates dropped from a four-month high, reducing borrowing costs as demand for housing improves.

The Community Development Financial Institutions Fund awards millions in affordable housing initiatives every year, but goes largely unnoticed compared to other federal housing programs.

Community Home Mortgage, the lending joint venture between Nationstar and KB Home, has struggled with loan processing and approval issues since its July launch.

The coming surge of servicemembers winding down their time in the military is expected to keep Veterans Affairs-backed mortgage lending an attractive opportunity for soldiers reestablishing their civilian lives.

Citizens Financial Group, which held an initial public offering Wednesday, will hire 350 mortgage officers and soon announce a new treasury services head, the bank's chief executive told American Banker.

The law requires those who deal with financial information to have safeguards in place to protect consumer data.

KB Home, the Los Angeles-based homebuilder, fell the most in a year and a half after reporting lower-than-expected quarterly earnings as the transition to a new mortgage partner delayed some deliveries.

Retail mortgage lender Guaranteed Rate has launched an encrypted, cloud-based platform that borrowers can use to transmit documents to loan officers.