Purchase

Mortgage insurer Essent Group reported higher net income for the first quarter of 2016 as premium growth outpaced rising expenses.

New rules have made it more challenging to originate mortgages without drawing attention from regulators. Mercantile Bank in Michigan, however, believes that positive trends in its biggest markets are incentive enough to hire lenders and improve its systems.

Social Finance Inc., whose loan originations have been concentrated in the non-qualified mortgage space, will now offer conforming products after receiving Fannie Mae seller/servicer approval.

United Guaranty's pretax operating income of $163 million benefited from lower mortgage delinquency rates but a decline in refinance originations affected the amount of new insurance written.

A healthy housing market is expected to buoy purchase mortgage volumes this year, while rising rates will put a damper on refinancing, according to a report from rating agency DBRS.

Indianapolis is the best market for first-time homebuyers right now, according to research released Tuesday by Zillow.

An across-the-board increase in mortgage interest rates accompanied a decline in loan applications, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

More Americans than forecast signed contracts to purchase previously owned homes in March, an encouraging sign as the housing market was entering its busiest selling season of the year.

Federal Savings Bank in Chicago has acquired the assets of ICC Mortgage Services in Westbury, N.Y.

More homebuyers are using social media to find out information about mortgage products and services, TD Bank reported in its Mortgage Service Index.

Spiking values for entry-level homes may prevent some first-time homebuyers from entering the housing market this spring, according to Zillow.

D.R. Horton Inc., the largest U.S. homebuilder, reported fiscal second-quarter earnings that beat analysts' estimates as it increased sales amid a tight inventory of properties on the market.

Its results were affected by the costs related to shutting the delinquent loan services business.

Home sellers realized a 17% average gain in price in March, the highest average gain since December 2007, according to RealtyTrac.

The time to close residential mortgage loans continues to drop, falling an average of two days in March from the previous month, Ellie Mae reported.

Total mortgage applications increased last week, due to an increase in refinance applications, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Purchases of previously owned U.S. homes rose more than projected in March, indicating resilience in demand heading into the spring selling season.

Bucking their rent-not-own reputation, millennials are looking forward to buying a home, but many have grossly underestimated just how much they'll need for that all-important down payment.

New-home construction in the U.S. slumped more than projected in March, reflecting a broad-based retreat that showed the industry lost momentum heading into the busiest time of year.

Confidence among U.S. homebuilders was little changed in April, indicating the housing market lacked momentum as the spring selling season got under way.