Origination

Mortgage companies ramped up hiring in October, adding 1,500 full-time employees to their payrolls, according to government figures released Friday morning.

The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate tracked by Freddie Mac during the week ending Dec. 1 came in 2 basis points higher at 4%, but still left the average for the past month below 4%.

PHH Corp., Mt. Laurel, N.J., plans to sell $250 million of unsecured debt, using the proceeds to pay off an equal amount of debt that comes due next April.

The Federal Housing Administration endorsed $15.7 billion of single-family loans in October, a 3% decline from the previous month, according to new figures released Thursday morning.

The LOS has an ubiquitous presence in the day-to-day work of loan officers, underwriters and other lender employees. For these industry professionals, the LOS is a technology used as often as Web browsers and productivity applications like the Microsoft Office suite.

I'll bet you could tell me exactly when the last time someone gave you a meaningful compliment. In fact, I'll bet you can remember exactly what the person said that made your day.

The mortgage industry is packed with folks who were probably high school kids who didn’t start studying until the night before an exam. While it’s possible to get a decent grade with last minute preparation in high school, in the business world it’s also almost impossible to make sound financial decisions when a deadline is biting at your heels. Quality takes time. Smart business decisions can’t be made in a hurry.

Fannie Mae acquired $58.4 billion of mortgages from its seller/servicers in October, its best purchase month since January and a sign that low rates are starting to spur new activity in the primary market.

The National Association of Realtors' leading indicator of future home sales unexpectedly jumped 10.4% in October after falling 4.6% the previous month.

The American Legion is calling on Congress to extend the $729,750 loan limit on Department of Veterans Affairs guaranteed loans before the ceiling drops down to $625,500 on January 1.