Originations

HomeBridge Financial Services has agreed to purchase the operating assets of Prospect Mortgage, in a deal that will grow its retail branch operation by approximately 150%.

Freddie Mac's net income rose to $2.3 billion in the third quarter, a big turnaround from the same point last year, when it lost $475 million due to derivative hedging instruments.

Courting borrowers with past bankruptcies might not cross most loan officers' minds as the best strategy for building business, but Guaranteed Rate's Danielle Young doesn't let borrowers' past blemishes intimidate her.

Commercial mortgage originations increased 5% in the third quarter compared with the same period last year, driven by a huge increase in government-sponsored enterprise volume.

Home prices will increase by more than 5% over the next year, after increasing by 6.3% on a year-over-year basis in September, according to CoreLogic.

A third securitization of single-family rental properties by Colony American Finance is also the smallest to date for the REIT-affiliated lender.

Bethpage Federal Credit Union, Holston Methodist Federal Credit Union and United Heritage Credit Union have all selected the FirstClose Report for instant title search, flood certification, valuation and property information tied to mortgage and home equity loan products.

Blackstone Real Estate Partners is tapping the securitization market for a cash-out refinancing of The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas hotel and casino.

The Federal Reserve has maintained historically low interest rates for too long, causing superficially high prices in housing and other assets. The outcome of the presidential election will likely decide whether the Fed maintains the status quo or embraces risk and raises rates.

September's mortgage application defect risk declined 1.4% from August and 14.8% from one year ago, because of the continued improvement in loan manufacturing processes, said First American Financial Corp.

Sun Bancorp’s third-quarter profit declined, as the Mount Laurel, N.J., company recorded almost $3 million of one-time gains a year ago.

Home prices grew by 5.3% year-over-year for August, which was the seventh out of the last eight months for an annual increase at this same level, according to Black Knight Financial Services.

The mortgage industry is welcoming the Obama administration's possibly final word on housing finance reform, hoping it will serve as guidepost for the future.

Mortgage brokers were among the companies that received the regulator's warning letters, but brokers are not required to report HMDA data — leading many to suspect mini-correspondents, which straddle the line between broker and lender, were the recipients.

Both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac failed to achieve their low-income and very low-income single-family home purchase goals for 2015, the Federal Housing Finance Agency annual housing report said.

Ellie Mae and Black Knight Financial Services offer mortgage lenders different value propositions so the competitive dynamic between the two companies hasn't changed, said Ellie Mae CEO Jonathan Corr.

Home prices in New York's Hamptons fell the most in almost three years as buyers in the beachfront towns sought out less-expensive properties and shunned the middle of the market, priced from $1 million to $5 million.

Mortgage industry hiring and new job appointments for the week ending Oct. 28.

The CFPB sent letters Thursday to 44 mortgage lenders and brokers warning them of potential reporting violations related to their mortgage lending activities — infractions the bureau is increasingly pushing lenders to take seriously.

A financial report due out soon could reignite a battle over whether the Federal Housing Administration should again reduce its annual premium.