Refinance

Mortgage applications rose for the second straight week as key interest rates fell back toward 5%, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

The nation's largest mortgage lending company for U.S. military veterans did less business in Hawaii during its recent fiscal year compared with the prior year.

Existing-home sales are on pace to fall 2.3% year-over-year in 2018, and the baby boomer generation is a big reason why, according to Fannie Mae Chief Economist Doug Duncan.

The rush in holiday shopping also boosted the housing market as mortgage applications increased 5.5% from one week earlier, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Average credit scores for mortgage borrowers remain at a 2018 high, a sign that lenders aren't easing standards despite refinance candidates already falling off on higher rates, according to Ellie Mae.

Mortgage application activity decreased 0.1% from one week earlier as refinance volume tanked, although interest rates fell, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Fannie Mae's economic growth forecast for 2018 inched up slightly, but a strong labor market won't mean the same positive results for housing.

Mortgage fintech LoanSnap launched VA Smart Loans, which will provide personalized options to current and former service members applying for a Veterans Affairs-guaranteed mortgage.

Borrowers will get more leeway to finance energy- and water-efficient improvements under a new program coming from Freddie Mac.

As interest rates rise, mortgage originators need to teach millennial homebuyers about the product options outside of conventional loans, Ellie Mae said.