Data and information management

The Mortgage Bankers Association lowered its 2014 origination estimate after a disappointing March report on home sales.

JPMorgan Chase said Friday it significantly downsized its mortgage operations while increasing the price on high loan-to-value loans to reflect higher default and servicing costs.

Wells Fargo posted a 14% rise in first-quarter earnings as fewer customers missed loan payments.

JPMorgan Chase said first-quarter profit fell 19% on lower revenue from fixed-income trading and mortgages, themes that may be repeated across Wall Street next week.

Mortgage rates fell for the first time in three weeks, Freddie Mac said.

Lenders are increasingly using the courts to foreclose on delinquent homeowners in states where it's not required to reduce the risk of falling afoul of new protections.

Refinances last week made up the lowest portion of mortgage activity since July 2009, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ended April 4.

It took five years, but consumers finally are making their mortgage payments before credit card payments, according to recent analysis from TransUnion.

The National Association of Realtors estimates that the Federal Housing Administration's 1.35% annual premium stopped at least 125,000 renters from buying a home last year.

Despite a dramatic drop in loan volume, payroll reductions of 23,500 full-time employees since July appear relatively modest.

Mortgage rates rose as investors awaited this week’s jobs report and signs that the economy is rebounding after the disruption caused by harsh winter weather.

Mortgages at the nation's largest financial institutions continued to improve for the fifth consecutive quarter at the end of last year, an indication that 2013 was a steadier year for mortgage portfolios than the quakes seen following the housing crisis.

Contracts to purchase previously owned homes unexpectedly fell in February for an eighth straight month, a sign of further weakness in the industry.

Mortgage rates for 30-year loans rose to a two-month high, increasing borrowing costs for homebuyers as the market’s recovery showed signs of weakening.

There is growing evidence that Washington is making the same mistake with respect to the housing and mortgage markets.

Purchases of new homes fell in February to the lowest level in five months, a sign the industry may take time to pick up after inclement weather damped demand earlier in the year.

The slowdown in housing since the middle of last year reflects a pickup in borrowing costs, declining affordability, limited job growth and, more recently, bad weather.

Home sales in California fell 13.7% in February from a year earlier, the seventh monthly decline in a row, as housing inventory increased, according to the California Association of Realtors.

Housing starts were little changed in February after declining less than previously estimated a month earlier, indicating the homebuilding industry is stabilizing after bad winter weather curbed construction.

The number of homeowners who received loan modifications rose to roughly 44,000 in January—up 2% from the previous month.