Mortgages

The Toledo, Ohio, home foreclosure rate continues to drop, as the market approaches normalcy after being battered during the economic crisis.

Mortgage rates moved back below 4%, pushed by last week's weak economic data report, according to Freddie Mac.

Two reports this week are singing harmony about the metro Atlanta housing market: there are fewer homes sold, while the ones that are selling are going for higher prices.

Higher home prices and a stable job market have slashed the number of foreclosures across South Florida.

MGIC Investment Corp. reported second-quarter net income of $118.6 million, an improvement from the $109.2 million for the same period last year.

Colony American Finance has been rebranded as Corvest American Lender in the wake of equity and asset acquisitions by funds affiliated with Fortress Investment Group.

The share of closed purchase loans remained flat in June, affected by the lack of homes for sale, according to Ellie Mae's Origination Insight report.

Mortgage loan application volume increased 6.3% last week as interest rates remained flat after a sharp gain during the previous 14-day period, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

California Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders announced that the state's housing crisis will be at the top of their agenda when lawmakers return in August from a month-long break.

Home sales — and prices — reached a new high in the Twin Cities area last month, but the dearth of listings continued and may soon put a brake on deals.

First-lien mortgage defaults in June were down 4 basis points from the previous month and 5 basis points from where they were the previous year at 0.6%.

Residential construction ended the second quarter on a stronger note as groundbreaking on new homes rebounded in June to the fastest annualized pace in four months.

Declines in commercial products and mortgage banking fees at the Minneapolis company offset some of the benefits of higher interest rates.

The Pennsylvania bank's mortgage performance contributed to stronger loan growth, fee income and profits.

Canadians may be shouldering near-record household debt but homeowners have been managing it better than those that don't own property.

Federal regulators issued a proposal Tuesday that would increase the threshold at which commercial real estate transactions require an appraisal, a move that could give some lenders sizable relief.

Sentiment among homebuilders deteriorated to an eight-month low in July on concerns about higher material costs, according to data from the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo.

Former EverBank Chairman and CEO Rob Clements now has those same positions at LenderLive Holdings, a Denver-based provider of outsourced mortgage services.

Last month's spike in defaults due to loans maturing drove the greatest month-over-month surge of U.S. commercial mortgage-backed securities delinquencies in six years, according to Fitch Ratings.

From automated applications that borrowers can complete on their own, to data-mapping that speeds up the underwriting process, here's a look at strategies that can help lenders close loans faster.