Originations

Housing experts and advocates disagree on the biggest factor in advancing the Black homeownership rate — and that's part of the problem.

Also: Cloudvirga merges with Stewart Information Services, home price growth makes loans risky and rates dip again.

The increasing regulatory costs may give the Biden administration reason to encourage the rollback of some zoning restrictions that hamper construction.

Average days to close dropped closer to pre-pandemic levels in April, according to ICE Mortgage Technology.

The company, on the cusp of going public via a merger, recently added Wells Fargo to its client roster.

While purchases increased, refinancing activity slowed considerably compared to its pace over the past month.

The deal adds to the burgeoning technology stack at the Houston-based title underwriter, which added NotaryCam in December.

Estimates suggest the government-sponsored enterprises did encourage increased lending to this demographic last year but ran into challenges related to the pandemic's impact and their own fluctuating business models.

Also: Delinquencies drop, rates rise and Senate debates flood insurance reform — again

The individuals allegedly defrauded Freddie Mac and CBRE Capital Markets by misrepresenting information used to refinance a small-balance loan.