Economy

Mortgage rates rose for the week ending Dec. 10, on optimism tied to job growth and a possible rate hike by the Federal Reserve this month, according to Freddie Mac.

With a probable Federal Reserve rate increase on the horizon, title insurance providers are optimistic about future real estate transactions, according to First American Financial Corp.

The consumer lending market, including mortgages, will fully recover from the financial crisis by the end of 2016, according to a forecast by TransUnion.

San Francisco, Los Angeles and Boston are in danger of becoming real estate bubbles, according to Zillow.

Loan limits for the Federal Housing Administration mortgage insurance program in 2016 will rise in 188 counties across the nation where home prices increased.

For renter households in the U.S., new research on the current market has told a persistently troublesome story, with falling vacancy rates pushing rents higher and forcing households to spend greater shares of their incomes on housing.

Mortgage applications rose 1.2% on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week ending Dec. 4, compared to the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

High loan-to-value ratio lending is gaining ground, spurred by the reintroduction 12 months ago of GSE-backed products that only require a 3% down payment, according to Black Knight Financial Services.

Mortgage credit availability declined in November because of a reduction in the number of adjustable-rate mortgage programs, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Fannie Mae has updated its underwriter servicing tool to make it easier for servicers to determine the eligibility of distressed homeowners for a loan modification.

Homeowners continue to overvalue their homes, in comparison to what appraisers believe, although the gap has narrowed for three straight months, according to Quicken Loans.

Freddie Mac has sold about $1.1 billion of seriously delinquent loans serviced by Wells Fargo.

Seven years after the housing bubble collapsed, Wall Street's appetite for riskier mortgages is returning.

There has been a sharp decrease in the number of incoming appraisers, largely due to outdated and untenable certification requirements. Here's how to fix the situation.

Fannie Mae just took out a potential chunk of private label CMBS supply. The government-sponsored enterprise said it's helping fund Blackstone's purchase of Stuyvesant Town.

Two independent mortgage banks agreed to settlements in the past week with the Justice Department for failing to meet Federal Housing Administration guidelines. The cases are a warning to nonbank lenders that they need to beef up self-reporting of deficiencies, and they remind large banks about the legal risks associated with FHA lending.

Luxury home prices fell in the third quarter, while the rest of the housing market rose in price, Redfin said.

More consumers expressed worries about the housing market, as prospects for higher income remained suppressed, Fannie Mae said.

HLP, formerly known as Hope LoanPort, has selected CoreLogic executive Faith Schwartz as chair of its board of directors.

There are no easy fixes to Nationstar's myriad problems — including a plunging stock price and increased regulatory scrutiny — but Chief Executive Jay Bray says the turnaround starts with a commitment to improving customer service.