Economy

While many lenders lately managed their business expecting reduced volume, now they get to capitalize on extremely low mortgage rates. But today's benevolent conditions will not always be with the industry.

From the tech hub of San Francisco to upstate New York, here's a look at the top 15 housing markets providing the safest harbors in the case of an economic downturn, according to Redfin.

Expectations of lower mortgage rates are the only thing keeping up consumer confidence in the housing market, according to Fannie Mae's Home Purchase Sentiment Index.

The Federal Trade Commission wants to block the merger of Fidelity National Financial and Stewart Information Services stating the deal would reduce competition for title insurance, including for large commercial real estate transactions.

The Treasury secretary said he hopes lawmakers will back reforms of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac within three to six months.

Like many regional banking companies, Huntington Bancshares casts itself as a community bank, albeit one with more than $100 billion in assets.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac investors won a victory in their long battle to reap benefits from their stakes in the mortgage giants with a court ruling letting them pursue claims that the U.S. sweep of the companies’ earnings is illegal.

Two neighbor island housing markets turned in mostly better results for single-family homes, but not condominiums in August.

Most homes located in Opportunity Zones sell for below the national median price.

The Trump administration raised the goal posts for ending the conservatorships of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but how officials get there is still highly uncertain.

While delinquent loans in commercial mortgage-backed securities continued trending downward overall, there was an uptick in the rate for more recent originations, a Standard & Poor's report noted.

Nonbank mortgage companies added 4,600 employees to their payrolls in July and may add more to address continuing rate-driven increases in loan volume.

The Treasury Department made clear in a much-anticipated report that it prefers Congress take up reform of the government-sponsored enterprises, but it also recommended steps that federal agencies could take without legislation.

Barely more than a tenth of homebuyers found themselves in a bidding war in August, as consumers shied away with a possible recession looming on the horizon, according to Redfin.

The Mortgage Industry Standards Maintenance Organization has released a dataset designed to prepare lenders for a new mortgage application and automated underwriting system upgrades at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

The median selling price for single-family homes in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, fell in August for the first time since February, but still remained above 2018 levels.

Mortgage rates fell to lows not seen October 2016, affected by concerns over manufacturing and the ongoing trade war with China, according to Freddie Mac.

The industry has taken some steps to lower barriers to affordable housing, but some observers say that more can be done.

Syracuse Securities Inc., a family-run lender and servicer in New York, is planning to wind down and transfer its outstanding pipeline to Premium Mortgage Corp.

For New Orleans-area homebuyers, the suburbs are calling.