Mortgage fraud

The drop in home buying power heightened the risk of misrepresentations on purchase mortgage loan applications during November, as consumers are more willing to fudge information in an uncertain market, First American Financial said.

The critical defect rate for closed mortgage loans continued its decline in the second quarter, as lenders benefited from increased loan volume and profitability, an Aces Risk Management study found.

A judge dismissed New York's mortgage-fraud case against former Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort, undermining the state's effort to ensure that the jailed political adviser doesn't go free if he’s eventually pardoned for his federal crimes.

Loan defect risk in purchase applications stopped falling and plateaued in October, according to First American Financial Corp.

Stephen Calk, who faces a bribery charge in connection with loans his bank made to former Trump campaign chair Paul Manafort, is asking a judge to suppress evidence that prosecutors obtained from his mobile phone.

A developer who swindled almost $400,000 from six families who sought new homes in Kirkwood, Mo., was sentenced to 12 months in prison.

The average number of attempts to defraud mortgage companies each month increased by 42% this year and hit the smallest businesses hardest, according to LexisNexis Risk Solutions.

The government has used the law to bring fraud claims against Federal Housing Administration lenders, but the new steps respond to criticism that minor offenders were also getting punished.

Fewer people are lying when buying or selling a home in South Florida.

PointPredictive has rolled out IncomePASS, which uses machine learning technology to determine if the borrower's income as stated on the application is realistic.