Data and information management

December sales decrease in most markets, while price growth tapers to end 2013.

Price-to-rent ratios in San Francisco, for example, are up almost 25% since 2012 and near an all-time high. Also, national prices are 15% overvalued, “in real terms,” according to the company.

Builders broke ground on fewer homes in December, especially in the West.

This figure is down 26% from the previous year and represents the lowest annual total since 2007.

Home value acceleration and residential real estate appreciation continued to steadily improve for the sixth consecutive quarter.

Builders remain confident about the sales outlook for 2014.

Wells Fargo has a far larger purchase share than Bank of America, recent earnings show.

The Golden State experienced a rise in notices of default and foreclosure sales during December, while notice of trustee sales declined.

Late payments on loans have risen for the first time since early 2012, but the long-term loan performance trend remains positive.

Credit requirements loosened the most in December, when 31% of mortgages had credit Fair Isaac & Co. credit scores below 700.

The bank reduced its servicing portfolio by 38% over four quarters, and lower provisioning for repurchases during the most recent quarter gave loan production income a relative boost.

Standard & Poor’s estimates that the number of months required to clear shadow inventory has risen to 51 months, 14 more than a year ago.

Observers are warning this is only a temporary break as they expect rates to start rising again.

Fannie Mae’s home loan volume projection is slightly more pessimistic than it previously forecast, but more optimistic than the Mortgage Bankers Association’s recent downward revision.

The first Black Knight Financial Services mortgage monitor report revealed that purchase loans now account for over 50% of total originations.

The giant lender reports higher gain-on-sale margins and servicing income.

Real estate portfolios helped boost net mortgage banking income in the fourth quarter of 2013 when it reduced more headcount to offset declining origination volumes.

The chief economist sees little pickup in purchase mortgage lending.

Revenue exceeded spending by $53 billion last month, compared with a $1.2 billion deficit in December 2012, the Treasury Department said.

Aggregate 30- and 15-year conventional prepayment speeds in December were up from the previous month but by less than expected, and Ginnie Mae speeds also were slower than anticipated.