Underwriting

It may take several years, but the Rural Housing Service is on a path to modernize its single-family program and give lenders more responsibility for approving and closing loans.

Mortgage rates ticked down slightly from last week's post-Brexit high in anticipation of the Federal Open Market Committee meeting, according to Freddie Mac.

House flippers and property developers are increasingly crowdfunding — tapping the virtual wallets of anonymous internet backers.

A top CFPB official said that lenders have adjusted their business models and practices to comply with new rules, while MBA CEO David Stevens called on the Federal Housing Administration to clarify its underwriting standards.

New American Funding and Alterra Home Loans are partnering on a new loan program using Freddie Mac's low-down-payment Home Possible mortgages.

The average rate for the 30-year fixed rate mortgage increased to its highest level since the British vote to exit the European Union, according to Freddie Mac.

PNC Financial Services Group plans to increase consumer lending with its current tilt toward commercial loans generating lower overall loan yields.

New homes aren't being built, and construction and development lending trends may be to blame, according to Kroll Bond Rating Agency's Christopher Whalen.

Provident Financial Holdings has restated earnings from its most-recent quarter after it booked higher loan-origination costs.

Regions Financial Corp. has agreed to pay $52.4 million to settle allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by originating and underwriting mortgages that did not meet Federal Housing Administration requirements.

A fintech startup called Point is allowing consumers sell a piece of their home equity to investors, rather than borrowing against the value of their houses.

Mortgage rates moved slightly lower for the week, helping to spur ongoing refinance activity, according to Freddie Mac.

First American Financial Services has reached an agreement to acquire RedVision Systems, one of the largest independent providers of title and property research nationwide.

Purchase loans experienced a 52% seasonal increase on a quarterly basis during the second quarter, reaching the highest level both in terms of volume and dollar amount since 2007, according to Black Knight Financial Services.

Efforts to expand diversity and inclusion are critical to any industry, but they're becoming especially important in mortgage finance, where the customer base is evolving and more millennial and multicultural consumers are ready to buy homes.

Depositories still dominate home lending, but nondepositories' market share is the highest it has been in at least two decades. Here's why.

So long as government-backed entities are guaranteeing 90% of originations, competition that could result in greater mortgage options for borrowers is being stifled. But a return of private capital to the market, possibly through securitization, could fix that.

Over the next 40 years, the rate of homeownership is likely to continue to decline further as changes in demographic trends, increased regulation and stagnant incomes make that dream harder to achieve.

If the past 40 years has revealed anything about the mortgage industry, it's that change is constant, and inevitable. From the future of Fannie and Freddie to the role technology will play in underwriting, here's a look at 10 bold predictions that will shake up the mortgage industry.

The slow start to Fifth Third's 3%-down mortgage illustrates some of the logistical challenges with such programs, which are on the rise across the industry.