Economy

The number of homes that have recorded yearly declines in value of at least 2% has risen sharply, according to Weiss Residential Research.

Detroit property values have increased the most in percentage of value of any city in the U.S. over the last year, a mortgage consulting firm found in its monthly survey.

Banks have ramped up foreclosure activity in the past five months, with default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions at their highest levels in two years. It's a positive sign that banks are finally clearing out all the distressed loans still lingering from the housing crisis. Meanwhile, banks remain cautious about new lending, partly because of regulatory actions.

A nascent corner of the market for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac bonds is on a roller coaster ride despite what Morgan Stanley calls the "pristine performance" of the mortgages linked to the debt.

Conforming mortgage rates remained steady despite many indications that the Federal Reserve is considering bumping up short-term interest rates, according Freddie Mac.

Bank repossessions of distressed homes hit a 30-month high in July, as financial institutions continue to work through the backlog of bubble-era loans.

Purchases of previously owned homes unexpectedly rose in July to the highest level since February 2007, consistent with further strength in the housing market.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency on Wednesday officially increased the target for loans purchased by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that benefit affordable housing, but the uptick is not satisfying housing advocates.

Sabal Financial Group has put a $541 million portfolio of real estate loans up for sale.

Mortgage Contracting Services will close the Utah office of its MCS Valuations subsidiary and consolidate its operations into three offices nationwide.

Home sales in July rose 11.3% from a year earlier, as lenders appear to be loosening access to credit, according to Re/Max.

Mortgage lending to low-income families could increase slightly under a plan by Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mel Watt.

CoreLogic has launched a new intelligence tool aimed at improving marketing segmentation and risk detection.

The share of refinancing activity as part of the origination market fell in July, according to the Ellie Mae Origination Insight Report.

Mortgage application volume grew 3.6% on a seasonally adjusted basis compared with the week prior, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Home sales in California continued to rise in July, even as home prices remain elevated, according to a new report.

The California Housing Finance Agency has forged partnerships with two federal agencies to provide lower interest rates to multifamily developers as a way to encourage more affordable housing.

The $3.9 billion-asset Luther Burbank Savings has opened retail loan origination offices in several Southern California cities to produce more jumbo mortgages. It is one of several lenders in the region that think jumbo loans are worth the risks to achieve growth.

Melissa Cohn has opened MC Home Loans looking to recreate the success she had at Manhattan Mortgage.

First-time homebuyers between 2010 and 2013 were slightly younger than in the previous four-year period, according to Zillow.