Economy

Borrowing costs for U.S. homebuyers may be falling again, thanks to Greece's woes, but not as much as they could be.

Californians are back in the home purchase market and forming households again thanks to an improving economy and an increase in job growth, according to the California Association of Realtors.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency wants to exclude mortgage REITs from membership in the Federal Home Loan Banks. That would be a major setback for the entry-level borrowers who depend on mortgage REITs for sustainable home-financing options.

Allowing real estate investment trusts to bridge the capital need for affordable housing could help de-escalate a rising public funding crisis.

Deutsche Bank, Jefferies and UBS have set final pricing terms on $1.35 billion in commercial mortgage bonds, according to a regulatory filing.

The Supreme Court's recent ruling that the disparate impact theory of liability can be applied to the Fair Housing Act means mortgage lenders must be even more vigilant in their ongoing testing and evaluation of business practices that could be interpreted as even unintentional discrimination.

A survey of mortgage lending executives conducted by mortgage insurance company Genworth found that most executives believe that a disconnect exists between lenders and borrowers on who qualifies for a mortgage.

The latest estimates of nonbank mortgage lender employment mark the largest number of workers since November 2013, and the biggest monthly hiring gain in six months.

The delinquency rate on commercial mortgage-backed securities rose from May to June, according to Trepp's monthly report.

U.S. regulators have told Royal Bank of Scotland Group it could pay as much as $13 billion if it loses a lawsuit over its handling of mortgage securities.

Mortgage rates rose, sending the average for 30-year loans to the highest since October.

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights wants to recapitalize Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to provide a secure source of funding for affordable housing.

The share of U.S. home purchases made with cash has fallen to a five-year low as investors pull back from a property market that's rebounding without them.

The chief executive officers of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac may see more than a sixfold increase in their compensation to $4 million in spite of objections from President Obama's administration and some lawmakers.

Walker & Dunlop, through the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Lean 232 program, closed the first Rental Assistance Demonstration program loan for a health care facility.

Lower gas prices can accelerate the home-selling process, and make the deal more lucrative for the seller, according to a new study.

The narrowing gap between what large and small lenders pay in guarantee fees to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac has helped the industry's smallest originators grow their share of mortgages sold to the government-sponsored enterprises.

Manhattan apartment prices jumped to a record in the second quarter, pushed up by competition for a limited number of properties and strength in the luxury market.

After it all but stopped making real estate and development loans following the housing crash, Farmers & Merchants Bank has increased its real estate loans by more than 61% over the last two years. It's a figure that’s likely to keep rising as California's real estate market heats up and the $5.6 billion-asset bank continues to add commercial real estate, construction and mortgage lending specialists to keep pace.

Mortgage applications fell 4.7% from a week earlier on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's weekly survey.