Originations

Creating a partnership with referral sources by being dependable, honest and knowledgeable will turn a floundering business into a success.

Ahead of the August deadline for lenders to provide new Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure forms, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau unveiled a new mortgage shopping toolkit Tuesday.

Mortgage applications increased for the second consecutive week as both the refinance and purchase market saw its overall volume rise.

The mortgage application and closing process is once again facing an overhaul. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will soon require lenders to provide customers with integrated disclosure forms, which aim to clarify costs associated with real estate transactions. As with any new process, the switch poses a number of challenges for lenders — and could even put business at risk during implementation. Here are five pitfalls to look out for in the process.

Forcing lenders to fund upgrades for HUD through the proposed administrative fee would set a dangerous precedent, essentially taxing the very borrowers they are intending to serve.

The technology, still in its early development stages, will analyze Home Mortgage Disclosure Act files prior to formal submission to the regulator so lenders can spot and fix errors faster.

Home equity lines of credit originations have increased 21.5% in 2014 from a year earlier, according to Equifax's National Consumer Credit Trends Report.

There is plenty of information available on the Internet so that mortgage firms can stop using the same old school approach to customer acquisition.

Independent mortgage banks and mortgage subsidiaries of banks saw their production profits rise in the fourth quarter compared to a year earlier, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

A CMBS backed by 76 mortgages that are in turn secured by 91 properties is coming to market, according to presales by Fitch Ratings and Kroll Bond Rating Agency.

Home prices in 20 U.S. cities appreciated at a faster pace in the year ended in January, indicating the residential real estate market continues to firm.

If lenders can't get the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to back off its Aug. 1 integrated mortgage disclosures deadline, they're at least hoping to get some leniency while they adjust to the new process.

The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals has issued an industrywide call to improve access to affordable housing.

Mel Watt, the former North Carolina lawmaker, has earned praised for his cautious approach to guiding the future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. But critics say he is making it even more difficult to craft a system without them.

More Americans than forecast signed contracts to purchase previously owned homes in February, indicating a pickup in the housing market ahead of the spring selling season.

Confusion about pre-approvals is rampant and has been the subject of vehement debate.

Housing affordability has shrunk as the issuing of new housing permits has failed to keep pace with population growth in cities across the country, according to research from Zillow.

United Community Banks took hefty hits during the financial crisis due to its focus on real estate lending. Today, the Georgia company is diversifying by building teams dedicated to SBA lending and making other specialty loans.

The Federal Housing Administration will require single family home mortgage appraisals to be submitted through an online electronic delivery portal starting on June 27, 2016, the agency announced.

Mortgage professional hiring and new job appointments for the week ending March 27.