Many conversations in the loan process start with this often uttered, never welcome phrase: "I am going to need an explanation…" If you were on the receiving end of that message, how would that make you feel?

Contracts to purchase previously owned homes rose less than forecast in January, adding to signs housing was weakening in early 2014.

Business contingency plans kept originators and vendors humming along at almost normal during the January and February blizzards.

Wells Fargo, the nation's largest mortgage lender, plans to eliminate 700 more jobs as fewer borrowers are looking to refinance their mortgage loans.

Mortgage rates for 30-year loans climbed for a third week, increasing borrowing costs as harsh weather contributes to slowing demand for homes.

Purchases of new homes unexpectedly climbed in January to the highest level in more than five years, showing underlying strength in the industry even in the midst of unusually harsh weather.

Purchase applications reached their lowest level since 1995 last week, as the index decreased 4% from the previous week.

In the FDIC's fourth-quarter earnings report, the agency said loan buybacks fell to their lowest level in five years.

Home prices climbed at a slower pace in the year through December, indicating the market is entering a new stage that will help sustain further progress.

It has to do with the visibility and prominence of your company when consumers conduct online searches.

Bitter weather, the qualified mortgage rule's restrictive guidelines and the lingering effects of the foreclosure crisis have put a crimp in homebuying at an inopportune time for lenders.

"We are seeing less interest from institutional buyers" of foreclosed properties, says Fannie chief executive Timothy Mayopoulos.

Mortgage servicing has long been a scale business, but rising compliance costs are now threatening the survival of smaller operations that lack efficient systems or staff expertise, industry experts say.

Marketers should try different platforms and see which of them work best for their needs.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's crackdown on mortgage servicers' operations will increase the pressure on lenders to improve their processes, paperwork and communications with borrowers. National Mortgage News journalists discuss how both banks and nonbank servicers can get ahead of the new regulatory scrutiny.

Sales of previously owned homes dropped in January to the lowest level in more than a year as harsh winter weather combined with a lack of supply, tight credit and declining affordability slowed demand.

Lower volumes and increased regulation are leading more lenders to consider outsourcing. But the savings and compliance improvements must outweigh increased liability for contractors and a rise in offshore prices.

Once written off as an endangered species, nonbank home lenders are making a comeback in the third-party origination businesses abandoned by banks since the financial crisis.

Mortgage rates for 30-year loans climbed for a second week, cutting into affordability as the housing recovery shows signs of cooling.

The rate of new foreclosures dropped to the lowest level in eight years as rising property prices erased negative equity and allowed more delinquent homeowners to sell without losing money.