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The average down payment amount increased in the fourth quarter of 2014, helped by gains in the job market and rising home values.

Recent moves to offer low down payment loans and cheaper mortgage insurance have been met with mixed reaction, as the opportunity for increased homeownership must be weighed against the potential of riskier lending practices.

A new report from Fitch Ratings found the percentage of loan principal a lender recorded as a loss after foreclosure was similar for agency and nonagency loans.

Former Congressman Barney Frank, co-author of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act, is not opposed to changes in the eponymous legislation, but in some cases he thinks the rules should be tightened, rather than loosened.

Consumer optimism toward the housing market grew in January, a sign that the improving economy has warmed consumers to the prospect of purchasing a home, according to survey results released Monday by Fannie Mae.

It's a mortgage on top of a mortgage, and at least one lender is making these loans again through brokers.

The Connecticut Housing Finance Authority plans to sell $150 million of mortgage finance program bonds, starting with a retail order day on Monday.

One of the culprits in the building and bursting of the nation's housing bubble, the low-down-payment mortgage, is back in favor and readily available at a lender near you.

Ocwen Financial Corp., which agreed with regulators in December to improve its mortgage servicing, sent Nathan Fitzgerald a notice saying his loan was in default. If he didn't send a $2,266 check immediately, Ocwen said, it would foreclose on him.

Bank of America Corp., which had been warning investors to avoid U.S. government-backed mortgage securities, reversed its call this week. The reason: oil prices are stabilizing.