Originations

Mortgage rates rose to the highest levels this year as job growth gained momentum.

Real estate investment trust ZAIS Financial Corp.'s acquisition of privately owned mortgage company GMFS proved to be highly dilutive to earnings.

J.G. Wentworth Co. has reached an agreement to acquire WestStar Mortgage in a cash and stock deal.

Home buying confidence has gone up since last year as more Americans begin to see now as a good time to purchase a home, according to TD Bank.

Mortgage applications declined for the period ending March 6 as interest rates exceeded the 4% mark for the first time since early January.

Banks can expect to incur higher costs in several areas during the implementation of a settlement agreement to improve the accuracy of credit reports. But they might benefit in the long run by getting better information on borrowers.

Home values rose across the country in February, even as appraisers' opinions of values fell below those of homeowners nationwide for the first time in over a year, according to Quicken Loans.

Telecommuting isn't new for front-office loan officers, but in an increasingly competitive hiring environment, some mortgage lenders now let their underwriters work from home, too.

KeyCorp has been getting back into full-scale residential lending as part of a broader strategy to deepen client relationships. The market's shift toward purchase activity and defined mortgage rules also played a role.

Lenders should carefully evaluate their business practices and the importance of an actual pre-approval process in the context of their operations.

The recent delay of new HECM rules is a reprieve for lenders scrambling to implement training and systems updates ahead of the original deadline. But it's also prompted questions about a key technology used by the reverse mortgage industry.

Consumer sentiment towards receiving a mortgage and the direction of the overall economy reached new highs in February, according to a Fannie Mae survey.

The three leading U.S. consumer credit reporting agencies agreed to make sweeping changes to correct errors and improve accuracy of reports as well as to increase protection for consumers with medical debt.

CertusHoldings in Greenville, S.C., has agreed to sell its small business finance unit to BankUnited in Miami Lakes, Fla.

Despite an increase in housing affordability, both first-time and repeat foreclosure starts reached 12-month highs in January, according to Black Knight Financial Services.

Unless we are willing to consider housing policies that reflect the economic conditions young adults in this country are actually facing, we will never solve the problems in U.S. housing markets.

Nonbank mortgage lenders cut 6,000 jobs in January, erasing four months of job growth in the sector, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said Friday.

Mortgage professional hiring and new job appointments for the week ending March 6.

Mobile has exploded on the consumer side and financial institutions are realizing that they have to make services available on these devices.

Mortgage rates have dropped for the first time in four weeks, according to Freddie Mac's weekly survey.