Economy

Blackstone Group cemented its position as the world's biggest private-equity investor in real estate with a global buying spree that includes General Electric Co. assets and a California-based shopping-center owner.

Two House Financial Services subcommittee chairmen are urging the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to delay enforcement of a new disclosure regime due to take effect this summer until Jan. 1.

Continued economic expansion should lift much of the real estate industry nationwide over the next three years, though single-family housing may miss out on these same levels of growth.

Blackstone Group and Wells Fargo are nearing a deal to buy a real estate portfolio from General Electric worth as much as $30 billion, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.

First Horizon has agreed to pay $212.5 million to settle claims tied to the Memphis, Tenn., company's past underwriting and origination of certain loans.

Fannie Mae has released details of its first bulk sale of nonperforming loans, just one day after announcing its plans to go ahead with these transactions.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at the Universal Orlando Resort seems a world away from the nearby Florida neighborhood nicknamed "Crime Hills." But magic is spreading.

A group of community lenders is calling on the Treasury Department to establish reserves to capitalize a new cash window in case Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are dismantled.

Mortgage rates fell to their lowest level in two months, decreasing borrowing costs after a weak March employment report.

Nomura Holdings Inc. and Royal Bank of Scotland Group's fight against a billion-dollar government lawsuit over mortgage-backed securities is ending where it started: with the banks blaming the housing crash.

The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs awarded contracts to Matt Martin Real Estate Management and Waterman Steele Real Estate Advisors to help the state agency handle its real estate portfolio.

Independent lenders rebut suggestions that they pose a greater risk to FHA (and hence taxpayers) than the large banks.

The Topeka FHLB's plan to allow participations in newly issued mortgage pools may benefit members institutions and the bank itself — and could soon be imitated by other Home Loan Banks.

When it comes to millennials, the $64,000 question is when will this generation be ready to start buying their first homes?

The final deadline for all Top Producers Survey responses is coming soon. All entries must be submitted online by 6 p.m. EDT Friday, April 10.
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Congress should take the interests of small and midsized mortgage lenders into account as it weighs regulatory reform for community banks. Exempting smaller lenders from random CFPB audits would be a good start.

Citigroup priced the senior most tranche of its latest commercial mortgage securitization, Citigroup Commercial Mortgage Trust 2015-GC29, just wide of the previous conduit to be sold, by Wells Fargo.

Credit unions as a whole will continue to grow their share of the mortgage market in 2015 and into 2016, say industry experts.

Walker & Dunlop originated its record largest deal in 77 years of business.

The partnership with MAX Exchange is designed to enable community banks to sell their loans and get better pricing.