Data and information management

The total home equity held by U.S. senior citizens increased by $46 billion in the third quarter last year, to $3.19 trillion, according to the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association/Risk Span Reverse Mortgage Market Index.

The national delinquency rate remained at 8.15% at the end of December, the same as the prior month, according to Lender Processing Services' "first look" mortgage report.

Despite seasonal trends where home sales usually decline during the winter months, December marked the sixth straight month with year-over-year gains, according to the latest figures released by RE/MAX.

The nation's top five ranked residential funders, as a group, are continuing to lose production market share, but most of that loss can be attributed to one firm: Bank of America, which is deemphasizing mortgages.

Average weekly mortgage rates continued their "How low can they go?" trend in Freddie Mac's primary market survey, declining slightly to another round of record lows.

RealtyTrac said foreclosure filings reached the lowest level in four years, as there were nearly 1.9 million default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions nationwide in 2011.

Despite projections that national home prices will increase slightly in 2012, Clear Capital said figures are still going to be near levels not seen in over a decade.

It's a distinction that doesn't portray the mortgage business in a very good light. But it's a milestone nonetheless: The national Loan Modification Scam Database has now collected more than 20,000 complaints.

Fitch's U.S. commercial mortgage-backed securities report shows 2011 ending with another decrease in delinquencies during December, but notes that office delinquencies are continuing on an upward trajectory.

The trend toward fewer loans becoming delinquent appears to have halted momentarily, according to the latest mortgage monitor report released by Lender Processing Services.

Strong refinancing activity spurred mortgage companies to add new loan officers and processors to their payrolls in November for the second consecutive month.

Delinquencies on home equity lines of credit rose a scant 2 basis points in the third quarter to 1.93%, according to new figures compiled by the American Bankers Association.

Only 5% of Americans surveyed in a Harris Poll said they plan to refinance their mortgage this year, while just 1% said they expect to take out a home equity line of credit.

As the economy makes gradual steps in its recovery effort and the unemployment rate is slowly improving from all-time record highs, individuals nationwide still believe in the "American dream" of owning a home.

Another big year for multifamily construction could push housing starts up 13% in 2012 after posting a 4% increase last year, according to a new forecast from Wells Fargo Securities.

November was the second best month of last year in terms of new private mortgage insurance written, but new applications received declined from October, according to the Mortgage Insurance Cos. of America.

Between foreclosures and paying down their loans through “cash-in” refinancings, the nation’s mortgagors are continuing to whittle down their housing debt—and that’s bad news for the nation’s servicers.

A leading indicator of future home sales jumped 7.3% in the month ofNovember to its highest level in over 19 months, according to theNational Association of Realtors.

Zillow is projecting that home values across the country are expected to have gone down approximately $700 billion in 2011, which would be 35% less than the $1.1 trillion that was lost in 2010.

Wells Fargo & Co. continued to dominate the origination landscape in the third quarter, funding $90 billion of product and amassing a market share of just over 25%—the largest reading ever for one lender.