Refinance

From deregulation to digital innovation, here's a look at the top storylines that defined the mortgage industry in 2017.

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.