Housing markets

The mortgage industry heads into 2019 with little relief from the market strains of the past three years. To succeed — or at least survive — lenders must confront major questions about demand, affordability and market consolidation.

The industry could see a boost in mortgage lending from regulatory changes, but other factors may slow growth.

The House Financial Services Committee held a hearing to examine the outgoing committee chairman's bipartisan GSE reform bill, but lawmakers were already looking ahead.

The process to confirm Mark Calabria as FHFA director could be lengthy, forcing the White House to consider how it will proceed with housing finance reform under Joseph Otting as acting head of the agency.

A proposal allowing more lenders to skip outside appraisals could remove a hurdle to quick closings, but appraisers say they could be collateral damage.

Loans to house flippers dropped 11% in the third quarter, indicating "possible turbulence;" the German bank may have allowed some clients to claim tax credits on stock they didn't own.

Home prices are rising and first-time buyers now account for an increasing share of sales, factors that could lead to a surge in defaults during the next economic downturn.

The Democrat, who will likely head the Financial Services Committee, has signaled she'll make expanded housing opportunities for lower-income consumers a top priority.

The sustained rise in home values will boost Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's loan limits for 2019, marking the second consecutive year in which it increased by nearly 7%.

The effort to raise the threshold for transactions excused from appraisal requirements responds to concerns that the current threshold is outpaced by real estate prices.

The end of one-party rule in Washington could move the needle on efforts to devise a new housing finance framework.

The Trump administration should consider putting much of the subsidized mortgage lending done by the federal government under the government-sponsored enterprises to improve efficiency and transparency.

Real estate and mortgage industry groups outspent proponents 3-to-1 to defeat Proposition 10, a measure to allow California municipalities to set local rent control laws.

Growing home prices plus rising interest rates are putting a damper on mortgage lending, which pushes the market to seek out less qualified borrowers and increases the risk of fraud.

City National Bank said the foundation will buy houses and hold onto them until the buyer lines up financing.

Despite recriminations about how the crisis and ensuing regulations have tightened loan access, an actual assessment of mortgage credit availability finds the situation is more complicated.

There are ways to fix vacant housing. So why can't we manage to do it?

Can community land trusts and Community Reinvestment Act reform fuel investment to stop urban blight?

The crisis in affordable housing has its roots in the high cost of building entry-level single-family homes. But why does it cost so much to build a house? And what did previous generations do to build affordable housing?

Millennials are targeting homeownership within the next few years, but many are buying into certain house-purchasing myths, according to Bank of America.