Technology

Single-family housing starts jumped 5.5% in August to their highest level in more than two years with home building executives starting to feel good about their future.

Mortgage applications were just about flat for the week ending Sept. 14, but refinancings—thanks to the HARP program—are on the rise.

Sales of existing homes rose 2.5% in August on a nonseasonally adjusted basis, after falling 10% in July.

Lending to investors and second-home buyers rose 10% in 2011 while overall purchase money transactions fell 5%, according to new origination figures culled from Home Mortgage Disclosure Act reports.

There’s growing evidence that the second lien market is beginning to gain traction. But don't look for any 80-10-10 products quite yet.

It is no secret that the changing market landscape has created new opportunities and threats for mortgage bankers.

Altisource Portfolio Solutions has replaced its GoHoming online real estate marketplace with Hubzu.com.

• Top Tech-Savvy Lenders & Servicers
• HARP 2.0 Refi Reboot
• Six Sigma Challenge

The nation’s refinancing boom has been plowing along for two years now—and just when it appears that everyone who could refinance has already done so, rates drop yet again, setting off another round of activity.

Union Bank, San Francisco, one of the largest jumbo lenders in the U.S., is on track to fund a record $9 billion in loans this year, according to a top officer at the company.