Profits at independent mortgage banks nationwide jumped from the first quarter to the second as loan production spiked, according to a trend report from business advisory firm Richey May & Co. "Independent mortgage bankers' unit volume, expenses and margins were very close to those they experienced in the third quarter of 2013," said Keith May, managing director of advisory services at Richey May.

In Dallas, HomeStar Companies announced the appointment of a new CFO and COO, naming longtime housing veteran Steve Hozie to the dual roles.

Despite economic strides made in the last few months, Fannie Mae's latest survey found Americans' outlook toward housing deteriorated again in August, "[suggesting] that housing activity may resume its modest recovery in 2015 after some pullback last year," analysts said. "The August National Housing Survey results lend support to our forecast that 2015 will likely not be a breakout year for housing," said Doug Duncan, SVP and chief economist at Fannie Mae.

According to a quarterly report from the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), institutions last quarter reported $673.9 billion in outstanding loan balances, an increase of 9.8 percent compared to the second quarter of 2013—the largest annual growth since the first quarter of 2006, the group reported.

Old Republic Title announced a promotion in its ranks: Peter J. Mattson has moved up to VP of Old Republic National Title Insurance Company and manager of corporate marketing and communications for Old Republic Title Insurance Group.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported an increase of 142,000 in U.S. payrolls last month, well short of the 230,000 predicted by economists. August's sudden slowdown snaps a six-month streak in which payroll growth came in at 200,000 or higher.

360 Mortgage Group, a privately owned mortgage banker headquartered in Austin, recruited Shane O'Dell as its new western regional manager.

Mortgage interest rates stayed fairly level this week, settling in ahead of Friday's August jobs report. Freddie Mac released on Thursday the results of its latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey, showing the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) coming in at 4.10 percent (0.5 point) for a third straight week, the lowest level seen so far this year.

MBA's Mortgage Credit Availability Index (MCAI), a gauge of credit access based on borrower profiles and underwriting criteria at lenders nationwide, slipped to 116.1 last month from 116.4 in July, the group reported. A decline indicates tighter standards overall in the market. Both the conventional lending and government-focused indices edged down as well, each declining less than a percentage point from July.

In Florida, document processing provider Nationwide Title Clearing has hit a major milestone in its efforts to help the mortgage industry move into the Digital Age, announcing that 60 percent of its volume is now being submitted to county recorders in electronic form.