Originations

Lereta, a real estate tax firm in Covina, Calif., has acquired Industry Consulting Group, a property tax services company with offices in Dallas and Wichita Falls, Texas.

Historically, net worth has been the primary, if not sole, criteria used by lenders in segmenting mortgage customers.

Renters figure to stay renters, at least for the next three years, according to a new report by Freddie Mac.

Many professionals in the mortgage industry are paying close attention to the non-QM market to see if it will indeed provide a path back to subprime loans of the past.

Fannie said it will immediately begin accepting applications for fixed-rate 97% loan-to-value financing of borrowers with FICO scores as low as 620. Freddie, meanwhile, took a more cautious approach, delaying the start of the program, requiring credit counseling, and in some cases only allowing FICO scores as low as 660.

Older homeowners have emerged as the pillar of the housing market following the collapse in 2008.

Title insurance premium volume decreased in the third quarter compared to a year earlier due to a struggling purchase market and declining refinance activity.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have set terms for letting borrowers put down as little as 3% of a home's cost to get mortgages, a step criticized by Republican lawmakers as a return to risky lending.

Creating a business strategy for 2015 detailing the steps and changes you must take to be successful.

Generally, advertising cost should be split pro rata based upon the amount of advertising space each party uses under the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, but more complicated issues arise.

The Federal Housing Administration said no county in the nation will experience a decrease from this year's loan limits.

Officials at Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae all heaped praise on nonbank mortgage lenders for stepping up to provide loans for home purchases at a time when many banks have scaled back.

PennyMac formed the new division to provide multifamily and other commercial loans under $10 million.

Making some small changes to these metrics could quickly increase your number of loans closed.

Investors should buy Assured Guaranty shares on the prospect that the bond insurer acquires a unit from mortgage guarantor Radian Group, analysts from Macquarie Group said.

Increased fixed costs and poor business intelligence are hurting independent mortgage bankers' bottom lines.

Hiring by nonbank mortgage lenders slowed in October after adding 2,900 new workers to their payrolls in the prior month.

Zillow research shows entrepreneurs get fewer loan quotes than salaried workers despite higher incomes.

It is critical for all originators to have a vendor management plan to mitigate their risk and to comply with state, federal and local laws.