Originations

Mortgage rates rose for the week ending Dec. 10, on optimism tied to job growth and a possible rate hike by the Federal Reserve this month, according to Freddie Mac.

Mortgage lenders said their per-loan profits declined 19% in the third quarter compared with the previous quarter, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

With a probable Federal Reserve rate increase on the horizon, title insurance providers are optimistic about future real estate transactions, according to First American Financial Corp.

San Francisco, Los Angeles and Boston are in danger of becoming real estate bubbles, according to Zillow.

Loan limits for the Federal Housing Administration mortgage insurance program in 2016 will rise in 188 counties across the nation where home prices increased.

For renter households in the U.S., new research on the current market has told a persistently troublesome story, with falling vacancy rates pushing rents higher and forcing households to spend greater shares of their incomes on housing.

Mortgage applications rose 1.2% on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week ending Dec. 4, compared to the previous week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

High loan-to-value ratio lending is gaining ground, spurred by the reintroduction 12 months ago of GSE-backed products that only require a 3% down payment, according to Black Knight Financial Services.

Mortgage credit availability declined in November because of a reduction in the number of adjustable-rate mortgage programs, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Amanda Sessa of SWBC Mortgage relies on a broad depth of market expertise, offbeat outings and her partner and husband for support, to propel her business.

Indications of fraud ebbed when refinancing was more prevalent, but now that home purchases are picking up, misrepresentations could increase, too.

Homeowners continue to overvalue their homes, in comparison to what appraisers believe, although the gap has narrowed for three straight months, according to Quicken Loans.

There has been a sharp decrease in the number of incoming appraisers, largely due to outdated and untenable certification requirements. Here's how to fix the situation.

Two independent mortgage banks agreed to settlements in the past week with the Justice Department for failing to meet Federal Housing Administration guidelines. The cases are a warning to nonbank lenders that they need to beef up self-reporting of deficiencies, and they remind large banks about the legal risks associated with FHA lending.

Luxury home prices fell in the third quarter, while the rest of the housing market rose in price, Redfin said.

More consumers expressed worries about the housing market, as prospects for higher income remained suppressed, Fannie Mae said.

Over 20 mortgage and real estate-related trade groups are urging Congress to provide a hold harmless period till Feb. 1 for any errors regarding implementation of the integrated RESPA-TILA mortgage disclosures.

Legislative proposals to reform the housing finance system have failed to garner enough support, but a surprisingly simply reform idea is in plain sight: deeper private mortgage insurance coverage.

Issues with upgrading software and ensuring pricing accuracy to comply with the consumer bureau's "integrated disclosures" have been magnified in wholesale loan transactions.

Hiring by nonbank mortgage lenders stalled in October after adding new employees to their payrolls for eight straight months.