Credit scores

Higher interest rates on home mortgages drove the share of loans used to purchase houses rather than refinance to new heights in May.

As mortgage lenders continue seeking ways get more trustworthy consumers into the housing market, a majority of them are utilizing alternative credit as a means of assessing borrower risk, according to Experian.

As the mortgage industry moves farther past the housing crisis, access to credit remains tight, especially for first-time homebuyers.

Supporters say pending legislation would help consumers with little or no credit history. But the bill would instead roll back key consumer protections.

As the mortgage industry makes more strides with technology, the time it took millennials to close loans for new-home purchases shrank to its fastest time yet.

Purchase loans made to millennial mortgage borrowers rose month-over-month in February despite interest rates increasing at the start of the year, according to Ellie Mae.

The annual progress report on the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac conservatorships reiterated that a new credit score model will likely not be operational until after the implementation of a new Single Security Initiative.

As tight housing inventory continues challenging prospective borrowers, Newfi Lending has launched a new portfolio lending platform in an effort to make homeownership more attainable.

A late addition to regulatory relief legislation would direct the Federal Housing Finance Agency to review credit-scoring alternatives, but some say the provision is redundant.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency said Friday it will give commenters more time to weigh in on a potential update to the credit scoring requirements for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.