Economy

Mortgage rates have dropped for the first time in four weeks, according to Freddie Mac's weekly survey.

Michael Stegman, a top housing policy adviser, urged regulators on Thursday to bring more private capital into the market, even in the absence of legislative momentum.

Mortgage credit availability increased slightly in February, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association Thursday.

The government sweep of profits from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac was defended by the top Treasury Department housing official, who called again for Congress to replace the U.S.-owned mortgage-finance giants.

There are better ways of picking an originator to work with than just looking at a price comparison tool.

Some newcomers to mortgage servicing did not hedge because hedging would have increased costs. Had rates moved up, the strategy would have paid off handsomely. Instead, it worked against them.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency won't keep renewing initiatives like the Home Affordable Refinance Program in perpetuity, even if it is extended again before it expires in December, Director Mel Watt said Wednesday.

Weaker appreciation in the low end of the housing market, combined with higher costs to originate mortgages tied to new regulatory compliance obligations, make smaller loans less attractive for lenders.

Hope Now said nearly 1.9 million homeowners received some sort of mortgage assistance in 2014.

Homebuilding company TRI Pointe Group and nonbank national retail mortgage lender imortgage have partnered to create a new origination business.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray said a review of its "qualified mortgage" rule will allow enough time to consider changes if lawmakers fail to make progress on housing finance before a key deadline.

Home prices nationwide, including distressed sales, climbed by 5.7% year-over-year in January 2015, according to CoreLogic.

The performance of commercial and multifamily mortgages continued to improve during the fourth quarter, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

An overlooked issue in the plan to reform Federal Home Loan bank membership could inadvertently jeopardize the local focus of the system by allowing insurance companies to apply for membership in any of the 12 districts.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has accepted Banco Popular de Puerto Rico's bid to purchase mortgage servicing rights held by shuttered Doral Bank.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency released a set of new rules for the sale of troubled mortgages by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Mortgage banking and servicing company 1st Alliance Lending is introducing a new national mortgage lending platform

From new compliance scorecards to rethinking how to deal with consumer complaints, there's plenty to debate about the future of servicing. Here's a look at the most insightful and noteworthy discussions from this year's Mortgage Bankers Association servicing conference.

Standard & Poor's had more than two times more upgrades than downgrades in 2014.

Total revenue fell for Stonegate Mortgage Corp. in the fourth quarter as lower interest rates and a flattened yield curve hit interest income.