Banking

Velocity Commercial Capital, better known for lending on distressed commercial property, is behind the latest securitization of single-family rental properties, according to Kroll Bond Rating Agency.

Flagstar Bancorp in Troy, Mich., has hired industry veteran Leonard Israel to lead its mortgage division.

Wells Fargo has hired two executives to expand its lending for manufactured housing, following the San Francisco company's purchase of a multibillion-dollar loan portfolio from GE Capital.

Nonbank lender HomeBridge Financial Services has lifted the curtain on a new mortgage platform aimed at community banks and credit unions.

Varde Partners has closed a $500 million fund that will invest in real estate securities, the firm announced this week.

InHouse Connexions has released a new software product for commercial lenders and appraisers for valuing properties.

Wells Fargo has hired a new head of commercial real estate lending for its Orange County, Calif., office.

Deutsche Bank priced most tranches issued from its $1 billion commercial mortgage securitization wider than the last conduit issued, according to a regulatory filing.

Commercial and multifamily mortgage debt increased in the first quarter compared to the previous quarter, as mortgage originations remained strong, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

RealtyMogul.com said it reached agreements for a total of $250 million in capital, which it will use to offer new products.

Opus Bank in Irvine, Calif., has named a new head of commercial real estate lending after its current leader resigned.

Union Mortgage Group's Irina Hines has faced her share of unique loan scenarios, but says dealing with the stresses of the job are worth it when clients are happy.

Highlands Bancorp in Vernon, N.J., has acquired LCD Mortgage, a residential mortgage originator in Totowa, N.J.

Life insurers increased their rate of investment in mortgages in 2014, according to a Fitch Ratings report.

Small banks and nonbank lenders are originating commercial mortgages with lower credit quality than the loans originated by large banks, according to a Fitch Ratings report.

Lenders keep hiring as outlook for home sales and originations remains uncertain.

Real estate executives have turned more bullish on the real estate market as it continues to attract the interest of foreign investors, a new study from law firm Akerman LLP found.

The number of delinquent loans backing commercial mortgage-backed securities dropped significantly in May, according to a report by Trepp.

Signs of increased underwriting discipline dissolved in the first quarter, creating a challenge for U.S. CMBS investors, according to Fitch Ratings.

Thorofare Capital in Los Angeles has agreed to originate commercial real estate bridge loans on behalf of the money manager DoubleLine Capital.