Economy

A Virginia woman has pleaded guilty to leading a mortgage-fraud ring that victimized hundreds of Hispanic residents in the northern part of the state and caused millions of dollars in losses for lenders.

The inventory of loans in foreclosure fell 24% in July to a rate of 1.4%, compared to a year earlier, Black Knight reported.

Many Californians who earn the median household income for their area cannot afford to buy a house where they work, the California Association of Realtors said.

There's nothing like a natural disaster to make people realize how important insurance is to the banking industry.

Homebuyers may be missing out on a wide range of programs that can help them afford their purchases — programs their agents either don't know about or don't want to bother with.

Fannie Mae has announced the winning bidder for two pools in its second nonperforming loan sale, which includes roughly 3,900 loans carrying a total of $765 million in unpaid principal balance.

Ocwen Financial has partnered with several local organizations to sponsor seminars to help homeowners stay in their homes.

Potential homebuyers were most worried about price in the second quarter, according to a new Redfin survey.

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.