Government shutdown

Nonbank mortgage companies cut payrolls by 3,100 full-time employees in December, bringing the level of the hiring in the industry to its lowest point in more than two years.

Home equity loans the Federal Housing Administration offers to older borrowers are in a better position now that the government shutdown has temporarily ended.

Across rural America, the government shutdown has eliminated one of the best options for low-to-middle income homebuyers, a zero down payment mortgage from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage remained unchanged for the third consecutive week, according to Freddie Mac, even with political uncertainty affecting the overall economic outlook.

In a slow mortgage market, construction loans are considered the most likely source of growth for lenders, according to a new study.

While most single-family Federal Housing Administration lending is somewhat insulated from the government shutdown, the impasse is doing more to hurt funding in niches like nursing home loans and reverse mortgages.

Better Mortgage has launched a mortgage refinance program to help federal government employees affected by the shutdown utilize their home equity for living expenses.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are adding another round of new underwriting requirements and a workaround for employment verification in response to the prolonged government shutdown.

Mortgage rates remained flat after dropping for six consecutive weeks as negative economic news was balanced with a more positive outlook on housing, according to Freddie Mac.

The impasse has halted grant and loan applications and frozen many farm subsidies just weeks ahead of planting season.