Mortgages

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

Proposals for stiffer capital requirements will reduce the number of mortgage servicers, which in turn will cut access to credit, mortgage-company executives said at an industry conference on Wednesday.

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.

MISMO released the latest version of its Residential Reference Model, opening up the standard to review.

It's not just about cutting lawns and patching holes. To convey a foreclosed property into the Department of Housing and Urban Development's ownership, servicers are on the hook for every last detail of a vacant house. Here are five key pieces of the preservation puzzle.

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.

Foreclosure inventory nationwide continued to shrink as the number of homes lost to foreclosure declined in January, according to CoreLogic.

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 new Pimco managers of the world's largest bond fund are embracing the mortgage securities that Bill Gross shunned.

Authorities unsealed a 40-count indictment against six individuals who allegedly targeted distressed homeowners with the false promise of loan modification services following the 2008 financial crisis.

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.

MGIC Investment Corp. saw its inventory of delinquent loans resume its reduction in February after growing the month prior.

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.