Economy

American International Group's plan to spin off a portion of its mortgage insurance unit is "almost pointless" given the challenges that CEO Peter Hancock faces to fix the much larger property-casualty business, an analyst at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods said.

American International Group Inc., the insurer being pressured by activist investor Carl Icahn to shrink the company, plans to pursue a partial spinoff of its mortgage guaranty unit.

Home Partners of America is securitizing a portfolio of single family rental homes with a unique feature: the tenants lease-to-own.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency may face legislation or a lawsuit in the near future as it tries to force captive insurance companies to exit the Federal Home Loan Bank System.

While a flourishing multifamily market is a boon to apartment lenders, increasing demand for units signals lean times are ahead for renters.

Purchases of previously owned homes rose more than projected in December, helped in part by warmer weather and wrapping up the best year since 2006.

First-time homebuyers are finally jumping into the U.S. property market.

Home prices rose 8.8% in December on a year-over-year basis, as the dearth of available homes forced prices up, according to Redfin.

MGIC Investment Corp. posted net income of $102.4 million in the fourth quarter, a gain of 36% from the $75.1 million it earned in the same period in 2014.

The average interest rate on the 30-year fixed rate mortgage rates fell this week to a three-month low, as investors exited stocks and commodities for the safety of government bonds.

Redwood Trust in Mill Valley, Calif., plans to stop buying mortgage loans to resell to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as it looks to cut costs.

It took an average of 49 days to close a residential mortgage loan in December, a week longer than it took one year prior, according to Ellie Mae. This was unchanged from November.

Default rates on various types of consumer loans were down 14 basis points in December on a year-over-year basis but were unchanged from November, according to Standard & Poor's and Experian.

Mortgage applications leapt 9% on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week ending Jan. 15 compared to one week earlier, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

New-home construction in the U.S. unexpectedly fell in December, indicating the industry lost some momentum entering 2016.

Interstate Hotels & Resorts in Arlington, Va., has formed a partnership with Hospitality Funding to provide financing for hotel development projects.

In one corner are groups like the Community Home Lenders Association and the major credit union groups, which are hoping the administration will further cut premiums after a reduction a year ago. On the other are MBA and ICBA, which argue a cut now would be too soon.

Activist investor Carl Icahn, who's pushing American International Group Inc. Chief Executive Officer Peter Hancock to shrink the insurer and boost returns, said the CEO must offer "a drastic strategic shift" at a presentation scheduled for next week. Icahn's plan includes splitting AIG into three units, one being United Guaranty Corp., a private mortgage insurer.

Confidence among U.S. homebuilders was unchanged at the start of year, indicating the residential real estate market was sustaining the steady progress made in 2015.

Agency and government loan programs will be a little different in the next 12 months. There also will be new rules for private-label securitizations, along with new products available to investors. Here is an overview.