Economy

Small-business lenders are scrambling for financing to accommodate a possible real-estate-related borrowing surge once a key federal rule change takes effect next week.

Open Mortgage, a multichannel lender based in Austin, Texas, has been approved as a Fannie Mae seller.

Consumers expect home prices to increase 3.2% over the next year, according to a recent Federal Reserve Bank of New York's survey.

An executive from Regions Financial said recently that his bank plans to pad fee income by expanding into syndication of low-income housing credits. The comment shed light on an increasingly competitive business — and reminded the world again how eager banks are for even incremental boosts to revenue.

Down payment assistance programs can save homebuyers an average of $17,766 during the life of a loan, according to a joint report from RealtyTrac and Down Payment Resource.

There were more than a million homeowners whose properties exited negative equity status over the past year, with the potential for another million to do so if home prices continue to rise, according to CoreLogic.

Mortgage rates were lower this week after the May employment report came in well below expectations, according to Freddie Mac.

Fearing that housing finance reform has fallen off the congressional priority list, bank and housing trade groups sent a letter to Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mel Watt on Wednesday to draw attention to the issue.

While negative equity rates continue to drop nationally from their 2012 peak, the share of homeowners underwater in the Rust Belt remains elevated, according to Zillow.

Despite financial obstacles and lifestyle choices that can delay the journey to homeownership, millennials are buying homes in these affordable metro areas with steady job growth.

JPMorgan Chase's next residential mortgage securitization looks a lot like the six deals it completed in 2015: it is backed by jumbo loans to high-quality borrowers that the bank acquired from other originators.

Home purchase sentiment continued to rebound from an 18-month low in May, according to Fannie Mae's Home Purchase Sentiment Index.

TRID wasn't as hard on the wholesale channel as was once feared, but some parties involved in the process still either do not fully understand the rule or haven't perfected their operations to handle it.

Independent mortgage banks and mortgage subsidiaries of chartered banks managed to grow profits from the fourth quarter despite lower interest rates and production volume, according to the the Mortgage Bankers Association.

The second mortgage is on its way back, and some lenders could have an advantage in the competition for the piggyback loan business.

Rick Elmendorf's annual movie night — this year featuring the premier of the new Star Wars film — for his clients and business associates (along with their families) helps to create new referral relationships for this Washington Metro area loan officer.

BentleyForbes once owned such renowned properties as the Watergate in Washington and Bank of America Plaza, Atlanta's tallest skyscraper. Now the company is on the verge of vanishing.

Home prices in April were 6.2% higher than a year ago, according to the CoreLogic U.S. Home Price Report.

Ocwen Financial Corp. in West Palm Beach, Fla., will lay off 120 employees as part of a plan to reduce costs.

Banks are increasing their construction lending to builders but access to land acquisition and development loans remains tight.