Real estate

Fraud risk has diminished as a result of widespread changes that lenders have made to their origination practices, according to Fitch Ratings.

Mortgage credit got harder to obtain during the first quarter, although economists expect access to credit will continue to gradually improve, according to Zillow.

Credit unions are no longer the tiny cooperatives they were a generation ago.

Marketplace lenders seek to disrupt traditional financial services with online platforms that connect borrowers to investors. But in real estate, this burgeoning sector has taken an approach that seeks to co-exist with, rather than supplant, the traditional mortgage market.

As marketing services agreements increasingly fall out of favor, a more level playing field may emerge where loan officers must aggressively compete on their skill and service to win referral business.

Contracts to purchase previously owned homes climbed in July for the sixth time in the last seven months, signaling further momentum in residential real estate.

In the world of property valuations, there's no such thing as the "perfect" comparable sale. From design and architecture styles to energy efficiency, here's a look at 10 home features most frequently adjusted in appraisals.

Fannie Mae has lowered its projections for single-family mortgage originations for the second half of the year, based on a variety of negative economic conditions.

Many potential home sellers are staying on the sidelines due to high prices and a lack of available inventory for buying a replacement home, according to the California Association of Realtors.

Housing markets nationwide continued to improve, with more than half of states considered to be within a stable range, Freddie Mac reported in its latest Multi-Indicator Market Index.

Housing prices rose 1.2% in the second quarter, compared to the previous month, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency. But online real estate site Zillow said home values declined in July.

Credit union loan balances grew at an 11% annualized pace in June, while loan delinquency rates fell, according to the latest Credit Union Trends Report from CUNA Mutual Group.

The Federal Housing Administration has resolved a long-standing conflict with municipalities and private companies that back "green energy" loans that is expected to benefit banks and other mortgage lenders. The next question is whether the regulator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgages will do the same.

Home prices in 20 U.S. cities increased 5% in June from the same month a year earlier, a sign of more progress in the housing market.

Two Florida men have been sentenced for their roles in a mortgage fraud scheme that resulted in about $24 million of losses for several financial institutions, including M&T Bank in Buffalo, N.Y.

Toll Brothers Inc., the largest U.S. luxury homebuilder, said fiscal third-quarter earnings fell as lower prices and unit sales caused revenue to decline.

Purchases of new homes rebounded in July, bolstering signs the real estate market is picking up.

Home prices rose 0.9% from May to June, according to Black Knight Financial Services' Home Price Index. Prices rose 5.1% compared to a year ago.

A Virginia woman has pleaded guilty to leading a mortgage-fraud ring that victimized hundreds of Hispanic residents in the northern part of the state and caused millions of dollars in losses for lenders.

The inventory of loans in foreclosure fell 24% in July to a rate of 1.4%, compared to a year earlier, Black Knight reported.