Originations

Warehouse lending conditions continued to improve in the second quarter with commitment volumes rising for most players—thanks in large part to a mini-refinancing wave sweeping the nation.

The majority of Americans believe that home prices will either hold steady or increase over the next year but one-third said they would be more likely to rent their next home if they were to move. This view could hold back the housing recovery for the time being, but in the long term lead to a stronger marketplace, said an executive with Fannie Mae, which conducted the survey.

A study has found that residential mortgage loan officers who work for financial institutions saw a 17% increase in their total compensation over the past year.

New research from the National Association of Home Builders reveals that housing tax incentives benefit younger households the most. These borrowers typically have large mortgages, small amounts of equity in their homes and growing families.

Embrace Home Loans had eyed entering the retail branch business for some time, the company’s founder said, and measured its opportunity in terms of its viability.Dennis Hardiman, who is chief executive of the Newport, R.I.-based company, said that viability is measured as Embrace’s ability to come into the channel and compete favorably.

Home prices have risen for four straight months, but the rate of growth has slowed, according to new figures tracked through the Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller house price index.

In August I had the pleasure of attending the California Mortgage Bankers Association's sales and marketing show, which was co-presented with the California Association of Mortgage Professionals. Among the speakers were Deborah Shames and David Booth of Eloqui, who spoke of the need to create a connection with the client.

Another top official has left the warehouse lending department of Southwest Securities FSB, leaving the Dallas-based bank with just two sales associates, and a declining book of business.

Fairway Independent Mortgage is now providing outsourced mortgage services to other lenders, banks and credit unions.

Federal regulators implicitly rebutted the view that banks are refusing to take losses on second mortgages that are current but at risk of default.

A falling yield curve and the strong demand for product contributed to an increase in CRE loan prices in August, according to debt advisor DebtX.

A new study sponsored by the Mortgage Bankers Association says the Dodd-Frank bill could stifle mortgage innovation, and lead to a permanent landscape dominated by 30-year fixed-rate loans.

The Houston and Dallas metro areas are expected to show the strongest home price appreciation over the next year in the most recent update to the U.S. real estate market forecast from Veros Real Estate Solutions.

Approximately one-third of Americans are unlikely to qualify for a mortgage because their credit scores are too low, an analysis of 25,000 loan quotes during the first half of September on Zillow Mortgage Marketplace found.

Loan Depot, a California-based nonbank lender that opened its doors in January, plans to hire 150 new mortgage workers this fall with 400 more being added by yearend.

The Federal Housing Administration had a market share of 3% five years ago. That’s swelled to 10 times that currently. Assuming neither of those figures is optimal, what is the right range of market share for FHA to take down in a more normal market?

You read the title correctly. I present sales seminars and workshops nationwide—why would I make this definitive statement? It’s simple; those attending will usually hear complex advice and information on so many topics that it can be overwhelming and sometimes counterproductive.

ST. LOUIS—Questionable credit histories have tripped up a much larger share of applicants for mortgage originator licenses than criminal background checks, according to a sampling of state officials who attended the American Association of Residential Mortgage Regulators’ annual conference here last month.

It would appear that loan brokers can't catch a break. New production figures compiled by National Mortgage News reveal that loans funded through these third-party independent salesmen hit yet another new low in the second quarter.

Existing home sales sped up a bit in August in Illinois. Year-to-date activity was up as well. But year-over-year, sales were down nearly 22%, according to the state's Realtor group.