Technology

The average rate for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage rose eight basis points to 3.95% for the week ending Feb. 23, reflecting both an improving economy and housing market, according to new figures compiled by Freddie Mac.

Even though the short sale market was slow to develop in 2011, there are many people within the mortgage industry that think 2012 could be the year of the short sale as delinquencies and foreclosures continue to be a major problem throughout the country.

Woodward Asset Capital has made technological advancements to their two software solutions enabling small banks to have the capability to access these tools to monitor fraudulent activities in the distressed sales marketplace.

Sales of existing homes rose 4.3% in January from the prior month as a mild winter and improving economic conditions encouraged buyers, according to figures released Wednesday morning.

Mortgage applications declined by almost 5% on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week ending Feb. 17, as refinancings declined and rates on fixed-rate loans began to increase, according to figures compiled by the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Technology providers are rolling out new updates and products this week at the Mortgage Bankers Association's servicing conference in Orlando.

For every 12 relationships that you systematically market to each year, you can expect two transactions. One will be a direct buyer or seller, and the other will be a referral. Compare that to your marketing efforts towards strangers. He found that for every 50 people that you market to that you don’t know, you can expect one transaction. Which approach makes more sense?

Mortgage technology vendor CoreLogic this week unveiled a new default servicing platform that includes nine modules that interconnect within its architecture.

Apple co-founder Steve Jobs revolutionized the computer, phone and music industries. But mortgage banking? Okay, so Apple (from what we know) has no designs on mortgage banking, but it's interesting to think about it because the inventor of the iPhone/iTouch/iPad and other gadgets is sitting on roughly $100 billion of cash and securities.

A bullish thesis on construction activity has taken hold among investors who have bid up the shares of major home builders by as much as 80% in the last six months.