Economy

Contracts to purchase previously owned homes rose in November as employment gains and low borrowing costs helped bring potential buyers into the market.

Activist investment firm Corvex Management reported a 7.1% stake in American Realty Capital Properties, the U.S. real estate investment trust that has plunged since disclosing accounting errors two months ago.

Student loans are now cited most often by young buyers as the main expense that prevents them from saving for a down payment on a house.

Black Knight Financial Services reported that U.S. home prices were up 4.5% in a year-over-year comparison during the month of October.

Green Tree Servicing has agreed to a $1.2 billion serviced advance financing facility with Barclays Bank.

Home prices in 20 U.S. cities rose at a slower pace in the year ended in October, putting the market on better footing heading into 2015.

Home sales in November plunged compared to a year earlier, according to data published Monday by Redfin.

The guarantee fees collected by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could be used as a tool to moderate the boom and bust cycles in the housing market, according to a new report by a Treasury Department office.

Connecticut received $30 million in grants for restoration and resiliency to infrastructure in municipalities affected by Hurricane Sandy, Gov. Dannel Malloy announced.

Here are some easy ways to introduce your loan origination group to your clients.

Mortgage rates stayed near their 2014 lows despite rising slightly, according to the Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey released Wednesday.

Aaron Seltzer, an attorney from the eastern shore of Maryland, pled guilty earlier this week to wire fraud connected to a real estate investment scheme.

What you don't know about a builder's operation could do more than delay your client’s project. It could sink your business.

The nation's largest banks have attacked their delinquent loan portfolios with gusto, but they may hit some barriers in 2015. The market for nonperforming loans is still robust with about $60 billion estimated to change hands in 2014.

The government-sponsored enterprises' changes to their representations and warranties regulations could increase lending — and some risks. Here's the downside to the move and how lenders can mitigate related concerns.

The Release of the Year Award recognizes a new software, platform, alliance or initiative that's expected to have the broadest future impact on the mortgage industry. Learn about this year's finalists and see who won the 2014 MT Award.

Now that the FY 2014 Actuarial Review has confirmed that FHA is back on solid financial footing, it is time to focus on the only disappointment in the review of forward mortgages — FHA's volume decline and its implications for lower income and minority families who rely on FHA financing.

The CFPB has at least six active investigations into servicers amid concerns that defaulted borrowers will not get foreclosure relief if their loan is bought and transferred to a new servicer.

Appraisers are often the only party involved in a real estate transaction that has no "skin in the game," unlike mortgage originators and real estate agents.

The 3%-down payment mortgage has been made available to consumers with a speed rarely seen in this business, in large part because more lenders than ever are selling loans directly to Fannie and Freddie.