Refinance

The percentage of refinances grew to 40% of all closed loans in December, according to Ellie Mae.

Even as mortgage rates rose to their highest level since March, application activity increased from one week earlier, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Mortgage application volume started the year on the upswing because of higher refinance activity, even with a slight increase in rates.

There were fewer mortgage programs available to borrowers at the lower end of the credit spectrum in December, resulting in an overall decrease in credit availability.

Homeowners can tap into more home equity than ever before, but deciding between a home equity line of credit and cash out refinance mortgage has gotten more complicated following recently passed tax reforms.

Refinance volume fueled recent market gains by nonbank mortgage originators. But lower volume amid the shift to purchase lending has nonbanks trimming headcounts and may position banks to recapture market share.

Mortgage application volume decreased 2.8% during the last two weeks of 2017, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

The average credit score of loans made to members of the millennial generation were a little lower than they were a year ago, according to Ellie Mae.

After surging earlier in the year, the number of mortgage loan application defects remained flat in November, a positive sign when it comes to fraud incidents going forward.

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Most housing finance companies are preparing to fight for a dwindling number of loans and operate on thinner margins.

The share of new refinance mortgage applications reached its highest point since December 2016, but overall activity fell compared with the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Underwriting purchase loans is inherently more precarious for mortgage lenders and that contributed to the year-over-year increase in risk in new originations during the third quarter, CoreLogic said.

The Home Affordable Refinance Program recorded a 45% drop in volume in October from the previous year as it continunes to wind down, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

The median down payment for single-family homes purchased with financing has reached a new high in the third quarter, according to Attom Data Solutions.

The share of new refinance mortgage applications reached its highest point since January, but overall activity fell compared with the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Supply constraints tempered real estate and title professionals' outlook for the home purchase market over the next year, according to First American Financial Corp.'s fourth quarter Real Estate Sentiment Index.

The U.S. is taking steps to stamp out the practice of servicemembers and veterans being pressured into taking mortgages they don't need, a move that officials say will lower consumer costs and could lead to financial penalties for lenders.

Mortgage application volume increased from one week earlier, driven by a boost in refinance activity, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.