Industries

Two independent mortgage banks agreed to settlements in the past week with the Justice Department for failing to meet Federal Housing Administration guidelines. The cases are a warning to nonbank lenders that they need to beef up self-reporting of deficiencies, and they remind large banks about the legal risks associated with FHA lending.

There are no easy fixes to Nationstar's myriad problems — including a plunging stock price and increased regulatory scrutiny — but Chief Executive Jay Bray says the turnaround starts with a commitment to improving customer service.

Banks face a growing risk of complacency given years of improved credit quality. They should periodically evaluate the status of loans and underlying collateral to make sure they proactively manage risk.

Issues with upgrading software and ensuring pricing accuracy to comply with the consumer bureau's "integrated disclosures" have been magnified in wholesale loan transactions.

Legislative proposals to reform the housing finance system have failed to garner enough support, but a surprisingly simply reform idea is in plain sight: deeper private mortgage insurance coverage.

Since consumers have been able to lock in historically low rates, the monthly payment on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has been within reach for most borrowers. That could change with a rise in interest rates.

The availability of home loans for low credit score borrowers remains very tight by historical standards but there might be some loosening in 2016 if the Federal Reserve begins raising interest rates.

Kal Raman has resigned as president and chief executive of Xome, the digital platform of the nonbank mortgage servicer Nationstar Mortgage Holdings.

Anticipation of rising interest rates has stirred more talk among mortgage lenders about the need to originate loans to borrowers with low credit scores. Mortgage lenders like Angel Oak Home Loans in Atlanta argue there is a distinction between the subprime products being pitched today and the infamous stated-income loans of yore.

With the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's disclosure rule potentially slowing down the loan process, institutions need to focus on communication strategies to keep young borrowers at the closing table.

No two mortgage servicing rights portfolios look the same, and buyers have strong opinions about the kinds of deals they want to do. Here are some factors that can swing MSR transaction values, according to Matt Maurer, managing director at MountainView Capital Holdings.

A new Fannie Mae program allowing nonborrower income to count in qualifying homeowners for low-down payment loans received near-universal praise from industry representatives and federal officials at a recent housing symposium here.

Bryan Sullivan, the CFO at LoanDepot, talks about its growth prospects without fuel from an initial public offering, how getting consumers to opt for home equity lines of credit is tough, and why he considers the nonbank a disruptor.

The Federal Housing Administration's annual financial report demonstrates the outsize influence of reverse mortgages on the performance of its insurance fund, fueling a debate about whether those loans belong there.

People’s United Financial in Bridgeport, Conn., has dismissed three employees in the wake of alleged fraud on commercial real estate loans.

Higher mortgage rates and other macroeconomic challenges may dampen lending under the Federal Housing Administration's single-family program, but they will produce a net benefit to the insurance fund. Here's why.

When Guaranteed Rate's Sam Sharp discovered past clients' online reviews were bringing in new mortgage customers, he started making borrower feedback a major part of his digital marketing strategy.

Prospect Mortgage, a Sherman Oaks, Calif., nonbank lender, has agreed to pay $10.1 million in borrower restitution and penalties for violating federal and state laws, California's Department of Business Oversight said Thursday.

Presuming that medium-sized banks that offer hedging products face added interest-rate-risk fears misses the full story.

The Federal Housing Administration's unexpected windfall is already generating industry talk about another premium cut by the agency — but FHA officials insist such discussion is premature.