Economy

Lending standards tightened once again in April, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Mortgage rates are now hovering just above their low point for the year, according to Freddie Mac.

Under the Federal Housing Finance Agency's new mortgage modification program, less than 1% of all seriously underwater properties might qualify for principal loan forgiveness, according to RealtyTrac.

Fannie Mae will make a $919 million dividend payment to the U.S. Treasury Department after reporting a first-quarter profit driven by fees for guaranteeing loans against default and credit-related income.

Social Finance Inc., whose loan originations have been concentrated in the non-qualified mortgage space, will now offer conforming products after receiving Fannie Mae seller/servicer approval.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency announced Wednesday it had raised a cap on the amount of multifamily loans Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can buy from lenders, boosting it to $35 billion effective immediately.

Freddie Mac's second quarterly loss in less than a year makes it clear profitability is getting tougher as it shrinks. But it's a concern that must be weighed against more long-term efforts to reduce Freddie's overall credit risk exposure.

Mortgage applications dipped 3.4% from a week earlier, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

The mortgage upstarts that transformed the industry after the U.S. housing crash are now facing their own shakeout.

At least one banker has gone public with expectations that the OCC will force his institution to hold more capital. More could soon follow.

Industry groups are urging the Federal Housing Finance Agency to end the sweep of profits of the GSEs so that Fannie and Freddie can rebuild capital.

Home prices continued to increase nationwide in March, led by double-digit percent gains in Western states, according to the CoreLogic.

Walter Investment Management Corp. sank into a deeper $172.7 million net loss during the first quarter, as lower interest rates caused pressure on the company's mortgage servicing rights valuation.

Bank of America Corp. said it reached a $190 million agreement to resolve a six-year-old legal claim from Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle over mortgage-backed securities sold before the financial crisis.

Posting educational videos on YouTube and social media helped Cherry Creek Mortgage's Kelly Zitlow land a spot on Lifetime Network's "Designing Spaces." The unique opportunity let her share knowledge about mortgages and extended her marketing reach.

Freddie Mac won't make a dividend payment to the Treasury Department after declining interest rates and widening spreads on investments triggered a $354 million first-quarter loss for the mortgage finance giant.

A federal judge approved Goldman Sachs Group's $272 million settlement with investors who claimed the bank misled them about the safety of billions of dollars worth of residential mortgage-backed securities.

Amalgamated Bank in New York has started offering down payment insurance to homebuyers in a move it hopes will set it apart with highly mobile millennial borrowers.

A downturn in origination volume, offset in part by improved gain-on-sale margins, has led to a slump in mortgage banking revenue, according to Keefe, Bruyette & Woods.

Servicing rights are high-yielding assets, making them attractive investments for hedge funds, real estate investment trusts and banks.