Economy

Home buying confidence has gone up since last year as more Americans begin to see now as a good time to purchase a home, according to TD Bank.

Fannie Mae selected a chief internal auditor with an "inherent conflict of interest" and the mortgage giant's process for filling the position was faulty, according to a watchdog report to be released Wednesday.

Lenders should carefully evaluate their business practices and the importance of an actual pre-approval process in the context of their operations.

Consumer sentiment towards receiving a mortgage and the direction of the overall economy reached new highs in February, according to a Fannie Mae survey.

The three leading U.S. consumer credit reporting agencies agreed to make sweeping changes to correct errors and improve accuracy of reports as well as to increase protection for consumers with medical debt.

Unless we are willing to consider housing policies that reflect the economic conditions young adults in this country are actually facing, we will never solve the problems in U.S. housing markets.

Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance has priced a secondary offering of 10 million shares of common stock at $17 per share.

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.