Practice management

Mortgage application volume fell 27.6% on an adjusted basis for the week ending Oct. 9, reversing the rush of the previous week caused by the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure rule becoming effective, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Homeowners continue to give their properties a higher valuation than appraisers would, according to Quicken Loans.

As the mortgage industry awaits clear direction on marketing service agreements, recent guidance from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau clarifies only how little the agency likes them.

LoanDepot in Irvine, Calif., seeks to raise up to $100 million in an initial public offering.

In Bakersfield, Calif., a teacher on an average salary can afford 86% of the homes on the market. In Salt Lake City, that number drops down to only 26%.

Stewart Information Services Corp., a Houston-based title insurance underwriter, has launched a companywide rebranding effort to support other growth initiatives.

ValueInsured Inc. has introduced a product that provides insurance coverage for consumers' down payments on a home purchase.

The Mortgage Bankers Association has added educational material to its website to help consumers buy a home.

NewCastle Home Loans Owner Ryan Kelley has branded himself as "The Home Loan Expert" and is willing to sit in a bathtub full of credit cards to prove it.

To better serve millennial mortgage customers, lenders would be helped by understanding how the "fear of missing out" mentality drives this generation's consumer culture.

Fifth Third's mortgage division has launched the Community Reinvestment Mortgage Special, a program designed to cover closing costs for mortgage customers buying or refinancing homes in low-income areas.

Sales of single-family homes and condos are on pace to reach an eight-year high this year, according to RealtyTrac's U.S. Home Sales Report for August.

Lenders that allow borrowers to shop for third-party settlement services face new liability, as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's integrated mortgage disclosure rules will let borrowers sue over problems with vendor lists.

A recent uptick in mortgage application defects might be reversing, according to First American Financial.

Inclusionary housing policies can help reduce economic discrimination in neighborhoods that are gentrifying rapidly, according to a think tank's report.

Mid America Mortgage will utilize document preparation and electronic signature and vaulting technology developed by DocMagic to facilitate paperless mortgage closings complete with e-signed promissory notes.

First-mortgage originations to subprime borrowers have risen by 30.5% in the first five months of 2015, compared to the same period last year.

When it comes to marketing and staying in contact with your current or prospect customers and referral partners, there is no magic bullet that will perfectly reach out to each person in your database at exactly the moment they need help with a loan transaction. Considering the value of your time and money compared to the reward, one of the most effective sales/marketing methods currently available is drip marketing.

Lenders should be excited about the TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosures because it will help them provide better customer service and new opportunities to engage and educate borrowers.

Lenders are easing loan standards across all types of mortgage products, according to Fannie Mae's latest survey of mortgage lenders.