Economy

The White House is pushing back on suggestions that it will cut a deal to recapitalize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac before the end of President Obama’s term, putting the pressure back on Congress for a solution.

Xome, a Nationstar Mortgage Holdings effort to automate the home-buying process, has launched a notary mobile app.

The White House is preparing to push back on the flurry of hedge fund speculation that it may change course on policies that have kept Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac under government control since the financial crisis.

The servicing industry is also facing higher capital requirements under the Basel III accord that are being phased in.

Confidence among homebuilders climbed in October to a 10-year high, a sign demand for housing may remain solid in the months to come.

Quicken Loans is partnering with Freddie Mac to boost business among first-time and middle-income borrowers as it battles allegations over its past underwriting practices on Federal Housing Administration-backed mortgages.

Ditech Financial is tapping the securitization market to fund advances of principal and interest payments to mortgage bondholders.

Single-family home market values nationwide are expected to rise 3.6% in the coming year, according to Veros Real Estate Solutions, which said this is one of the best forecasts in almost two years.

MGIC Investment Corp. had third-quarter net earnings of $823 million, largely driven by a $698 million reversal of its deferred tax asset valuation allowance.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau backed off some of its initial plans in its final rule requiring lenders to collect more data from mortgage borrowers, but industry representatives warned the agency had not gone far enough.

Average fixed mortgage rates perked up the week ending Oct. 15, but remained under the 4% level for the 12th consecutive week.

WASHINGTON — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalized a rule Thursday that requires lenders to collect more information from borrowers as part of mortgage disclosures.

Ditech Financial, a nonbank lender in Fort Washington, Pa., is the latest lender to bring back the piggyback mortgage by offering a closed-end home equity loan product.

A majority of consumers still think it’s a good financial decision to buy a home and most think they could sell their home for at least its initial purchase price, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Executives in the mortgage industry must "take a page from the real estate community" and be more active in Washington and their state capitals, said outgoing Mortgage Bankers Association Chairman Bill Cosgrove.

Ellie Mae has agreed to purchase St. Louis-based Mortgage Returns, which provides customer-relationship management services.

Mortgage banking represented one weak spot in Wells Fargo's third-quarter results and company officials said that would likely be the case in the fourth quarter.

Altisource has set its sights on the real estate services market with two acquisitions that will dramatically grow its business in this area.

Bank of America originated $13.7 billion of first-mortgage loans and $3.1 billion of home equity loans during the third quarter, the company said in its quarterly earnings release.

The outlook for originations, and regulators' priorities for 2016, will dominate discussions throughout the Mortgage Bankers Association's Annual Convention in San Diego next week. Earmark these eight hot topics and features to seek out at the show.