The National Security Agency spying scandal, sparked by news that the NSA has been monitoring phone and e-mail records of millions of Americans, could spill over into the mortgage industry.

As many communities throughout the country continue to recover from the housing crisis, Freddie Mac is trying its best to help as many distressed borrowers as possible avoid foreclosure.

When compared with May 2012, prices in California increased 32%, going to $417,350 from $316,460.

A DataQuick report revealed more counties experienced home price increases in May compared to the prior month, with a notable surge occurring in cities located within the Mountain Time Zone.

The upgrades of the master and primary servicer rating reflect the completion of Wells Fargo's Systems Process Integration project and subsequent operational improvements.

For the first time since April 2006, home builders view conditions for sales of newly built single-family homes as good, the National Association of Home Builders said.

Redfin said active listings are down 22% from a year ago, but this is likely to turnaround to a positive number before the end of the year.

Ellie Mae has a program called EllieCares, where they have corporate volunteer projects. Over the past four years more than 70% of Ellie Mae’s Bay Area staff has participated in company-affiliated volunteer efforts.

The New York Association of Mortgage Brokers recently convened its annual wholesale meeting where its leadership was heartened by the resurgence in wholesale.

The zigzag pattern of the stock market continued on Friday as 15 of 17 Mortgage Industry Equity Composite stocks closed lower.

Sales of California homes and condominiums rose 8% in May from the prior month, according to DataQuick.

The prevalence of short sales is likely the most significant factor impacting foreclosure rate improvements and the housing recovery.

The Orion Financial Group has introduced i3, a proprietary mortgage document imaging and storage services software for small to medium-sized investors.

Home prices in Texas have recovered from the housing downturn as they are now 7% above the pre-recession peak recorded in the fourth quarter of 2007.

For the most part, qualified mortgage/Ability-to-Repay guidelines should provide a level of compliance certainty. But are they still too severe?

Regulators, creditors, accountants and shareholders all have increased focus on this asset. Basel III implementation may further exacerbate this.

Stock prices rise as investors regain confidence over the Federal Reserve bond buying program ending.

A report from Fannie Mae said while the nation’s economy may be growing, it hasn’t reached its full potential yet due to fiscal headwinds.

The median price paid for a home in the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area in May was $519,000, up 1.8% from $510,000 in April and up 29.8% from $400,000 in May 2012.

Barclays is forecasting a year-to-year 9.7% rise in U.S. home prices by the end of 2013 and a 7.2% increase in 2014, based on first-quarter data.