Real estate

Genworth Financial's third-quarter profit missed analysts' estimates as results deteriorated at its Canadian and Australian mortgage insurance units.

The Mortgage Bankers Association said Thursday that it expects commercial and multifamily mortgage originations will increase year-over-year in 2016 by 6% to $485 billion.

Contract signings to purchase previously owned homes unexpectedly fell in September by the most since the end of 2013, indicating the residential real estate market is cooling from its recent brisk pace.

Interest rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages fell three basis points during the week ending Oct. 29, as the market increasingly expects the Federal Reserve to hold off on raising rates, according to Freddie Mac.

New York Community Bancorp has agreed to buy Astoria Financial for about $2 billion in cash and stock, combining two of the largest New York-area banks to create an institution with about $64 billion in total assets.

Consumer demand to purchase housing increased slightly in September, compared to a year earlier, according to Redfin.

Mortgage application volume fell 3.5% on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week ending Oct. 23, compared to the previous week.

Genworth Financial agreed to sell a European mortgage insurance operation to AmTrust Financial Services Inc. as CEO Tom McInerney divests assets to bolster capital amid tighter regulation on companies that back home loans in the U.S.

Home prices in 20 U.S. cities rose at a faster pace in the year ended August, a sign the industry continues to strengthen on improving demand.

First Mortgage Corp. in Ontario, Calif., has stopped originating mortgages and plans to cease operations.

Home prices increased 0.3% from July and 5.5% year-over-year in August, putting them just below their precrisis peak, according to Black Knight Financial Services.

Purchases of new homes slumped in September to a 10-month low, disrupting a trend of steady improvement this year in the industry.

Housing markets across the U.S. continue to gradually improve, according to Freddie Mac.

Consumer demand for apartments continued to rise in the third quarter, according to the National Multifamily Housing Council.

Astoria Financial, a New York City-area thrift under pressure from activist investor Basswood Capital Management to boost the share price, is exploring a sale, according to people familiar with the matter. The stock climbed as much as 6.2%.

CoreLogic reported a sharp decline in third-quarter profit, on higher expenses and unfavorable currency translations.

A pair of title insurers expect to suffer from TRID implementation hangover in the fourth quarter as the slowdown in mortgage applications related to implementation will affect them as well.

Sales of previously owned homes rebounded in September to the second-highest level since February 2007.

Home prices rose in August as low borrowing costs and sustained job growth fueled demand amid a tight inventory of properties on the market.

An increasing number of renters are considering whether to purchase a home, according to a TD Bank survey.