Origination

The National Association of Independent Housing Professionals said it will sue the Federal Reserve over its looming loan officer compensation rule, charging that the regulation is illegal and should be withdrawn because the agency "failed to demonstrate even a remote correlation between a mortgage loan originator's compensation and abusive, deceptive or unfair practices."

The vacancy rate on apartment rental units fell almost a full point to 9.4% on a nationwide basis in the fourth quarter, the largest drop on record, and a sign that multifamily values are poised for a boom.

Commercial mortgage-backed securities could make a relative comeback this year. But issuance will likely still be a far cry from what it was at the height of this market.

Housing values fell during the last five months of 2010, but year-over-year were unchanged, according to CoreLogic's new home price index, which includes sales of foreclosed properties.

Consumers are developing a negative perception of the mortgage origination process, with nearly one third of the respondents in a MortgageMatch.com survey complaining that understanding the process and coping with lenders’ requirements are the most challenging aspects of getting a home loan.

Real estate agents are reporting more shoppers out looking for homes, spurred in part by the looming threat of rising mortgage rates. But in its latest survey of agents and additional research Credit Suisse published Tuesday, underwriting is still constrained and the limited availability of financing is slowing activity.

CMG Mortgage Services is becoming something that is increasingly rare: a nonbank lender with strong growth and a franchise model that relies on both retail lending and loan brokers.

Mortgage bankers funded $110 billion worth of commercial and multifamily mortgages in 2010, a 36% jump from the prior year, according to new figures released by the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Part of the routine for outside mortgage sales staff is to drive to open houses, to meet with their clients, to the offices of their referral sources, etc.

Financial technology vendor Fidelity National Information Services Inc.'s sales rose 8.8% from a year earlier to $1.4 billion in the fourth quarter, the company said Tuesday.