Down payments

Private mortgage insurance was the largest source of credit enhancement for new homeowners in the second quarter making a low down payment for the first time ever, according to Genworth Mortgage Insurance.

The typical Portland-area home is out of reach for a median-wage family, new home-sale figures show.

The percentage of low down payment loans using private mortgage insurance continues to grow, and should continue as more first-time homebuyers get conforming loans, according to Keefe Bruyette & Woods.

The Bay Area continues to lead the state in shattered homeownership dreams.

Housing affordability has hit a 10-year low throughout most of California, new data show, as three out of four state residents can no longer afford sky-high median homes prices.

National MI deliberately dropped some of its customers in the second quarter, resulting in flat new insurance growth compared with the first quarter and a lower increase versus one year prior.

The fees that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac charge for low down payment mortgages disproportionately reflect their risk exposure and make homeownership more difficult for underserved borrowers.

From Cleveland to Pittsburgh, here's a look at 12 markets offering favorable costs for housing, helping turn renters into potential homebuyers by quickly saving for a down payment.

A Fannie Mae test to handle the private mortgage insurance process for lenders may raise concerns that it's going outside the scope of its secondary market mission. But the effort reflects its mandate to explore new credit-risk transfer alternatives, a company executive said.

Americans selling homes in the nation's hottest market last year made enough to turn around and buy a place for cash — and still have spare change for a Tesla.