Underwriting

Politicians and regulators need to get with the times — for the sake of the housing market and its participants.

A lack of available financing for small investors is hindering the recovery of the commercial real estate market, says National Association of Realtors Chief Economist Lawrence Yun.

The multifamily market is heating up as apartment owners and investors refinance in a rush to lock in low interest rates, but caps on government-backed lending programs are threatening to disrupt momentum.

Fannie Mae has created a new financing option for multifamily properties looking to undergo energy- and water-cost saving improvements.

Small loan amounts are offered at more expensive rates than those of higher amounts, according to an analysis of loan requests and quotes on Zillow Mortgages.

The number of mortgage loan products offered increased in April, driven by lenders adding the FHA's 203K home improvement program, VA offerings and jumbo products to their mix.

Most banks appear to be coping well with the CFPB's ability-to-repay rule for mortgages, but the burden is falling harder on community banks. A new proposal that would allow more small lenders to grant home loans to borrowers with high levels of debt could help.

A lot of bankers want on-balance-sheet mortgages declared ultrasafe under federal rules, and Wells Fargo executive Brad Blackwell explains why he thinks it's in their self-interest more than ever to live up to their arguments in favor of such a policy.

Sutherland Asset Management has launched a bridge lending division called Ready Capital Structured Finance to strengthen its existing direct commercial lending platform.

Most title professionals will be prepared when the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau implements its TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure rule on Aug. 1, according to the American Land Title Association.

Increased wealth inequality among Americans is correlated with decreasing levels of homeownership, a new study from the National Association of Realtors reports.

Conforming loan rates hit their highest levels in two months during the first week of May, according to the Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey.

Quarterly delinquency rates hit their second lowest rate since 2007-2008's real estate meltdown, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Benworth Capital has launched a $50 million capital raise for a technology-based platform it's touting as the place where real estate opportunity meets crowdfunding transparency.

The CFPB found that more than 26 million consumers are effectively "credit invisible" because they have no credit record and another 19 million are "unscored" because they have an insufficient or stale credit history. But it's unclear how the CFPB plans to tackle the issue.

The risk of mortgage lenders being victimized by fraud increased during the first quarter as economic conditions nationwide shift, according to a report from Interthinx.

Home prices, including distressed sales, rose year-over-year by 5.9% in March, according to CoreLogic.

Appraisal management company Solidifi has acquired national loan settlement services provider Southwest Financial Services.

For all the talk about an economic and housing recovery, homeownership remains out of reach for a third of Americans, a new report from Zillow found.

Banks want all loans held in portfolio to be classified as ultrasafe regardless of the underwriting characteristics or of a bank's asset size. But consumer activists and independent mortgage lenders are raising red flags ahead of possible Senate Banking action.