Mortgages

An index of contract signings fell 0.8% last month to the lowest level in data from 2001, following a revised 7.4% decline in December, according to National Association of Realtors figures released Thursday.

About 1.3% of residential properties in the United States were vacant at the beginning of the year, Attom found.

TransUnion projected moderate growth in 2026 for mortgages, projecting purchases and refinances to increase 4% and 4.2% year over year.

The credit reporting agency must revise its customer agreements because a judge disagreed with its attempt to end the case through an arbitration clause.

New residential construction in the US rose to a five-month high in December, as homebuilders boosted production to take advantage of lower borrowing costs.

Some market sectors face growing challenges related to a K-shaped economy as servicers play an increasingly important role in keeping customers.

Loans will continue to be originated and closed in the name of Firstrust Bank but the MortgageCountry will oversee lending end-to-end and provide its leadership.

Residential lending remains steady in select cities as resilient housing markets, strong employment, limited supply, and migration trends shape borrower demand.

Falling rates spurred a refi surge that pushed defect rates to 1.79% in Q3, driven by income and compliance documentation gaps as lenders ran lean, per Aces Quality Management.

The typical homebuyer's down payment in the United States decreased 1.5% year over year to $64,000 in December, Redfin said.

Toll Brothers Inc. fell short of analysts' estimates for quarterly orders, signaling that fewer people are signing contracts to build homes as high prices and economic uncertainty hold some buyers back.

The agencies' representatives weighed in on the insurance fund's capital ratio and evolving policies at the Mortgage Bankers Association's servicing conference.

Some observers say changes to MSR risk-weighting would have limited near-term impact and are unlikely to prompt banks to rush back.

The two organizations announced the Certified Home Equity Advisor credential, which will help financial professionals integrate home equity in retirement plans.

Large and mega investors accounted for 5.8% of all single family-home purchases in December, up from 4.8% at the same time last year, according to Cotality.

Company veteran Austin Niemiec is running the wholesale arm after the departures of Fawaz, a prominent broker advocate, and general manager Dan Sogorka.

An index of market conditions from the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo, in which below 50 means more builders see conditions as poor than good, edged down in February to 36, the lowest level since September.

Treasuries rallied and broke key levels, but stubborn 5-year resistance still caps momentum and rate-cut expectations remain unchanged, the CEO of IF Securities writes.

Federal Reserve Vice Chair for Supervision Michelle Bowman said in a speech Monday morning that the central bank will introduce two capital proposals that she said are aimed at boosting banks' role in the mortgage market.

The mortgage broker trade group put out a white paper calling for lowering transaction costs, increasing housing supply and reducing regulatory barriers.