Economy

Home prices are rising and first-time buyers now account for an increasing share of sales, factors that could lead to a surge in defaults during the next economic downturn.

Wire fraud is considered a consumer and title agent issue, but the millions of dollars it's diverting from home purchase transactions make it an issue mortgage lenders need to address, too.

The government-sponsored enterprises sold fewer nonperforming loans in the first half, but the drop-off in the number of sales year-to-year is less severe than it was in 2017 as a whole.

For the first time, Remax Holdings has sold a Motto Mortgage franchise to a real estate brokerage affiliated with a competing franchisor.

Consolidation is coming in the mortgage industry, but a protracted timetable will continue to constrict industry profits.

Rejected or not, cities selected as finalists for Amazon's second headquarters are topping the charts of housing markets expected to overperform in 2019 as companies see the value in their proposals, according to Zillow.

The performance of loans included in commercial mortgage-backed securities improved for the fifth consecutive quarter, with delinquencies down 179 basis points over the time frame, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Here’s a look at 10 housing markets where buyers are looking to move — and the high-cost markets they're fleeing.

In its annual report that looks at housing markets to watch, online real estate service Trulia ranks Colorado Springs as the No. 1 market poised for growth in 2019.

Hometown Lenders Inc. will acquire TotalChoice Mortgage in a move to expand its geographic footprint and meet its goal of growing annual originations from $1 billion to $5 billion.

A new Freddie Mac pilot program will offer mortgages on manufactured housing with terms that more closely resemble conventional financing for site-built homes.

Contract signings to purchase previously owned homes unexpectedly fell by the most since January, reaching the lowest level since mid-2014 amid mounting evidence that the housing market is struggling.

Third-quarter profitability fell to 2008 levels in the Mortgage Bankers Association's latest report, suggesting the seasonally slower fourth quarter could be particularly challenging this year.

The Woolsey Fire in Southern California destroyed or damaged as much as $6 billion in real estate, a new estimate shows.

That old fixer-upper house down the block may have seen better days, but in an environment where new-home prices are on the rise, older homes remain in demand in many markets.

The sustained rise in home values will boost Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's loan limits for 2019, marking the second consecutive year in which it increased by nearly 7%.

Greenway Mortgage, a New Jersey lender that pledges to support charitable causes, is launching a consumer-direct digital mortgage division that will specialize in one-stop shopping for home renovations.

The proposal by Fannie and Freddie’s regulator to impose bank-like capital requirements would be relevant only if the companies leave conservatorship. But that hasn’t stopped lenders from requesting changes.

Altisource Portfolio Solutions plans to discontinue its buy-renovate-lease-sell business for single-family homes and sell its short-term inventory in order to cut costs and repay debt.

Rising prices and a lack of choices have pushed central Ohio home sales down for the third straight month.