Economy

To commemorate the 40th anniversary of National Mortgage News, we look to the future of the mortgage industry — a future that lies at the intersection of people, policy, technology and capital.

So long as government-backed entities are guaranteeing 90% of originations, competition that could result in greater mortgage options for borrowers is being stifled. But a return of private capital to the market, possibly through securitization, could fix that.

Over the next 40 years, the rate of homeownership is likely to continue to decline further as changes in demographic trends, increased regulation and stagnant incomes make that dream harder to achieve.

The executive who sold North Fork to Capital One for billions of dollars and later revived BankUnited discusses his plans, and reflects on a long career, now that he is retiring as BankUnited's CEO.

Zais Financial Corp. has begun to quantify the effects that the major flooding across Louisiana had on its Baton Rouge-based mortgage banking subsidiary, GMFS.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can still manage their risk exposure even after reducing or eliminating "loan level price adjustment" fees.

A surge in new and existing home sales is prompting lenders to increase their payrolls.

Luxury-condo builder Extell Development Co. said it obtained a construction loan for a lower Manhattan project after months of delays, and bought more time to get financing for a planned tower on Billionaires' Row in Midtown.

The slow start to Fifth Third's 3%-down mortgage illustrates some of the logistical challenges with such programs, which are on the rise across the industry.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has released the details of its next nonperforming residential loan sale through the Distressed Asset Stabilization Program.

Commercial and multifamily mortgage delinquency rates remained low during the second quarter, although two lender categories reported an increase, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

The Mortgage Bankers Association has long been a staunch defender of the mortgage interest deduction. But the group's president and CEO now says he's open to Congress reducing, or even eliminating, the tax break.

More homeowners think now is a good time to sell a home than buy one, according to Zillow.

Mortgage rates moved slightly higher in reaction to Federal Reserve Board Chair Janet Yellen's Aug. 26 speech, but still remain near their all-time record lows, according to Freddie Mac.

The first reboot of S&P 500 Index group weights in almost two decades has arrived, shaking up stock portfolios and conjuring an industry out of real estate investment trusts that will infuse at least one lightweight ETF with sudden riches.

In an unusual move, Fannie Mae has obtained credit ratings for eight previously unrated tranches of five Connecticut Avenue Securities transactions issued between 2012, when the program was launched, and 2015.

Home purchase applications are at their highest level in almost five years but a level that is still considered weak, according to the Freddie Mac Multi-Indicator Market Index.

Plenty of banks have ended their federal loss-share deals early, but despite the incentives to wind them down, plenty more still have these crisis-era arrangements in place. It may be due to varying deadlines, mistakes calculating loan values or worries that they still might need the coverage for home equity lines.

The National Association of Realtors is urging policymakers to implement reforms meant to qualify more condominium buyers for Federal Housing Administration loans.

Contracts to purchase previously owned homes increased more than forecast in July, indicating further strength in the housing market.