Real estate

Troubled loans no longer overwhelm the market, but there could be smaller outbreaks that servicers must be ready to deal with, a real estate services vendor says.

New-home construction unexpectedly cooled in January, indicating there is a limit to how much gains in residential real estate will boost growth at the start of 2016.

Home equity portfolios have shrunk at banks, but credit unions and nonbank lenders like loanDepot helped fuel the surge in home equity lines last year.

There is concern that a decline in condo pricing could create loan problems similar to those that cropped up before the financial crisis. Bankers in the area, however, believe foreign investors would take the biggest hit.

Confidence among homebuilders dropped in February to a nine-month low as potential buyers stayed away, interrupting the steady progress residential real estate had built over the course of 2015.

Low borrowing costs and rising home values are just two of several reasons why owning a home is far less burdensome than it was a decade ago.

Flagstar Bancorp in Troy, Mich., has launched a national homebuilder lending platform.

Fifth Third Bancorp in Cincinnati said Thursday that it will spend $27.5 billion over the next five years to provide loans and other financial services to underserved communities in its region.

There were 3.1 million homes and condos sold during 2015, a nine-year high. From the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul to Salem, the capitol of Oregon, here's a look at the 10 markets with the biggest year-over-year percent increases in home sales.

Funding needed to construct houses is fairly plentiful, but homebuilders are still having trouble lining up financing to purchase and develop land. As a result, buildable lots are in short supply — and far more expensive.

A number of bankers used quarterly earnings calls to assure investors that they are carefully monitoring their exposure to commercial real estate at a time when regulators are expressed concern about eroding underwriting standards.

Buying remained better than renting in certain situations, but members of the millennial generation continued to have reasons to rent instead of buy, according to Zillow.

The month of November could be foreshadowing of the prediction made by Weiss Analytics that fewer homes would gain in value this year.

ZipLogix, a maker of real estate software, has formed a partnership with Roostify.

Urban homes are now worth more than suburban homes, as Americans place a greater value on living in cities and in high-rise condos, according to Zillow.

TFS Financial in Cleveland reported a higher fourth-quarter profit, citing a $1 million negative loan-loss provision.

Credit default swap spreads have widened substantially for MGIC Investment Corp. since the start of the new year, reflecting changes in policy pricing, according to a report from Fitch Solutions.

Contracts to purchase previously owned homes rose less than forecast in December, indicating more tempered progress in residential real estate early this year.

Umpqua Holdings in Portland, Ore., posted stronger quarterly earnings because of an increase in mortgage banking fees and lower costs.

Residential markets will continue to rise in value over the next 12 months, according to Veros Real Estate Solutions.