Origination

Nationstar Mortgage, Lewisville, Texas, is the newest preferred mortgage lender for KB Home, after two other relationships fizzled in the past year.

A fourth quarter decline in applications among the nation's top lenders will result in weaker first quarter origination volume. But there has been a pick-up in application volume in the current quarter, which will result in more interest rate locks for the period, a report from Keefe, Bruyette & Woods notes.

The struggling housing market needs to look to every possible financing source. So, how are housing bonds doing? According to our sister publication, The Bond Buyer, housing bonds were off last year. But in a small victory, they were not off as much as the entire market.

Sustained low interest rates will continue to erode U.S. state housing finance agencies' excess capital and put further downward credit pressure on the agencies, according to a report published Tuesday by Standard & Poor's Ratings Services.

First the good news: there appears to be plenty of warehouse credit available to nonbank mortgage firms provided they have a decent capital position, seasoned management, and strong production. But what about the smaller firms that fall into the 'broker to banker' category?

Freddie Mac executives believe the GSE has passed an important milestone regarding the firm's 2005 to 2008 books of business that could lead to a much stronger financial performance in its single-family business going forward.

Even as plans are announced for a 25th new condominium tower in Hollywood, 4,300 units leftover from the previous condo boom in South Florida remain unsold, according to a new report from the CondoVultures consulting firm.

How much lower would new home sales volumes have been without Uncle Sam's housing finance programs?

The wave of Hispanic homebuyers that was promised just before the market crashed is finally ready to storm the market, according to a new report from a group of real estate professionals dedicated to increasing ownership among Latinos.

Chicago-based Guaranteed Rate Inc., after its recent roll-up of Superior Mortgage, is looking at more mortgage origination firms as part of its growth plans. And given its track record in creating top producers, it should get plenty of interest.