Industries

Confidence among homebuilders unexpectedly fell in May, reflecting cooling sales and slower buyer traffic, a sign the residential real estate market will take time to gain momentum.

A lack of available financing for small investors is hindering the recovery of the commercial real estate market, says National Association of Realtors Chief Economist Lawrence Yun.

The Mortgage Bankers Association's Builder Application Survey reported that applications for new-home purchases rose by just 0.3% in April.

April home sales were up 5.4% and prices up 6.5% from the previous year, real estate brokerage Redfin reported.

The multifamily market is heating up as apartment owners and investors refinance in a rush to lock in low interest rates, but caps on government-backed lending programs are threatening to disrupt momentum.

Fannie Mae has created a new financing option for multifamily properties looking to undergo energy- and water-cost saving improvements.

Small loan amounts are offered at more expensive rates than those of higher amounts, according to an analysis of loan requests and quotes on Zillow Mortgages.

Other regional Federal Home Loan Banks are lining up so their members can securitize FHA and VA loans through Chicago FHLB conduit.

The average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage was 3.85% this week, up from 3.8% last week and the highest since mid-March.

Mortgage origination activity slowed in the first quarter compared with the fourth quarter of 2014, but showed improvement on a year-over-year basis.

Abid Gilani, a Wells Fargo senior vice president, was one of the victims in the derailment of an Amtrak train outside of Philadelphia on Tuesday.

WashingtonFirst Bankshares in Reston, Va., has agreed to buy direct mortgage lender 1st Portfolio Holding Corp. in Fairfax, Va.

With support from Bank of America, a nonprofit lender is trying to revitalize Detroit by offering no-down-payment mortgages at up to 150% of a home's assessed value. The idea is to provide borrowers with enough cash to buy run-down homes and fix them up, and if the program works as promised it could prove to be a template for lending in other cities — like Baltimore — that have large swaths of boarded-up homes.

PrimeLending, a subsidiary of PlainsCapital Corp., has created a program aimed at providing closing cost assistance for underserved communities.

ACORE Capital announced Tuesday its formation as a commercial real estate finance and risk management solutions provider.

ING Real Estate Finance said that Craig Bender will reclaim his position as managing director as ING relaunches its U.S. real estate lending operations.

Home values rose in April but could not fully make up for the decline the month prior, according to Quicken Loans.

A survey of housing experts found that, while most believe it will become easier to obtain a mortgage in the next few years, renters may still not buy homes because of their economic situations.

WASHINGTON — A new mortgage disclosure regime due to take effect on Aug. 1 is unlikely to cause closing delays, according to Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray.

There continues to be improvement in the number of distressed homes nationwide, according to a report from CoreLogic.