Mortgage defaults

Strong levels of employment and continued economic expansion drove February's mortgage delinquencies and foreclosures to 20-year lows, according to CoreLogic.

Even though mortgage delinquencies increased on a quarter-to-quarter basis, strong overall metrics mitigate any concerns regarding future loan performance, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

As home price appreciation levels off, the amount of underwater loans rose in the first quarter while equity-rich properties continued adding value, according to Attom Data Solutions.

Payoffs of maturing office loans in securitizations may be delayed more often in the next few years if increasing inventory constrains occupancy and rent growth, according to Morningstar.

Mortgage application fraud risk came in hot at the start of the year, but two housing market conditions worked against each other to bring growth to a halt, according to First American Financial Corp.

Commercial mortgages placed into special servicing grew last year, but default and foreclosure dollar volume fell as legacy loan resolutions outpaced newly distressed loans, according to Fitch Ratings.

Plenty of homeowners succumbed to foreclosure when the housing bubble burst, but the effects on Hispanic and black communities in particular were heightened, with many still suffering, according to Zillow.

Mortgage prepayments came gushing in at the start of the spring home buying season as delinquencies also improved, according to Black Knight.

MGIC Investment Corp. posted better-than-expected first-quarter earnings as expenses were lower than projected while net premiums came in higher.

360 Mortgage is bringing back the no-income, no-asset loan, but says its $1 billion pilot's guidelines differ from those of the NINA loans that contributed to the financial crisis.