Apartment markets improved in April in all categories, according to the National Multi Housing Council's (NMHC) April Quarterly Survey of Apartment Market Conditions. All four of the survey's indexes--Market Tightness, Sales Volume, Equity Financing, and Debt Financing--came in above 50, which marks the point between improving and deteriorating conditions. April's gains reverse findings made in January, when Market Tightness and Sales Volume dropped below 50 for the first time since 2010.
Read More »Freddie Mac Sees Strength in Construction as Other Sectors Flounder
Construction employment proved to be the silver lining in March's otherwise dismal job report, Freddie Mac says in its economic and housing outlook for April.
Read More »MCM Launches Secondary Marketing Efficiency Tool
In San Diego, Mortgage Capital Management (MCM) announced it is now offering an automated report system designed to track and report loan processing times to help banks identify their highest performing entities.
Read More »Nationwide Title Clearing Contributes to Ongoing Conversation at MPact
Nationwide Title Clearing, Inc. (NTC), a Florida-based mortgage industry service provider, joined other firms in Las Colinas, Texas, late March at the Five Star Institute's second annual MPact conference.
Read More »Fiserv Partners with ChannelNet, Launches LoanLink Online Channel
Fiserv, Inc., announced it has partnered with ChannelNet to create LoanLink, an online channel that enables LoanServ users to quickly roll out self-service websites for borrowers.
Read More »First-Time Unemployment Claims Tick Up
First time claims for unemployment insurance increased for the fourth time in the last five weeks, edging up 4,000 for the week ending April 13 to 352,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. Economists expected 347,000 initial claims. Initial jobless claims for the week ending April 6 were revised up to 348,000 from the originally reported 346,000.
Read More »Beige Book Sees Moderate Growth, Sequester Threat
Despite threats from the federal budget sequester, the nation's economy expanded "at a moderate pace" from late February to early April, the Federal Reserve reported Wednesday in its periodic Beige Book. Reports on mortgage lending, the Beige Book said, "were mostly favorable" with stronger refinancing activity in New York and Atlanta. The Cleveland and Kansas City districts, according to the report, "noted a shift from mortgage refinancing to new purchases," and New York, Richmond, Dallas, and San Francisco "reported an uptick in residential mortgage loans."
Read More »Purchase Share Climbs, Credit Conditions Ease in March
Purchase loan share picked up more ground in March as mortgage rates climbed further, according to the latest Origination Insight Report from Ellie Mae.
Read More »Genworth USMI Introduces Simplified Certificate of Insurance
Genworth U.S. Mortgage Insurance (USMI), a unit of Richmond-based Genworth Financial, announced a redesigned Commitment/Certificate of Insurance intended to make it easier for customers to understand information about their mortgage insurance.
Read More »Trulia: Current Market Conditions Setting Up Buyers for Regret
In today's seller's market, Trulia says buyers in today's market are especially vulnerable to making decisions they may regret in the future.
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