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Citing dips in home sales, purchases, and low job growth, some economists say housing is already in a double-dip recession, with reprieve still off for another two years - this despite a last-minute debt deal.

Making the annual list of industry technology leaders for another consecutive year, Financial Industry Computer Systems, Inc., got named to the Top 50 Service Providers, compiled yearly by Mortgage Technology.

Applied Business Software recently announced that U.S. Bancorp CDC is utilizing its servicing management platform, The Mortgage Office. U.S. Bancorp CDC will use the platform to service its tax credit loans.

Canada may soon face a housing bubble crisis not unlike the one still felt by its southern neighbor, with a possible burst threatening to soak pockets of the U.S. economy that rely on purchases by overseas homebuyers.

According to results of a new survey by mortgage giant Freddie Mac, borrowers who were given the chance to refinance their mortgages showed a 77 percent success rate in maintaining or reducing their loan debt.

Market worries cooled Monday as news reports confirmed a tentative debt-ceiling deal by public officials Sunday, a last-minute agreement that would avert the next financial crisis predicted by economists. In response to the possible deal, mortgage rates stepped down from nominal highs from last week. According to Headline News, Bank of America reported that 30-year fixed-rate mortgages fell to 4.37 percent, down several basis-points from last week. Fellow mortgage giant Wells Fargo yielded 30-year loans at 4.50 percent.

Radian Guaranty, Inc. is multiplying its sales force with the addition of three new team members. Andrew (Andy) Cooper, Shelley Duffy, and Patrick Harrigan are joining Radian├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔÇ×┬ós sales division. Cooper will now serve as Radian├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔÇ×┬ós vice president, national account manager, and he├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔÇ×┬óll be responsible for managing and developing strategies with the company├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔÇ×┬ós largest lending partners.

As House Republicans shifted their focus to a balanced budget amendment Friday in order to push through a debt-ceiling raise bill, two analytics companies posted upticks in mortgage rates - a sign that some say the markets feel increasingly unsure about whether the nation will be able to pay its debts come August 2. A Bankrate, Inc. survey reflected a 6-basis point surge to 4.74 percent, with mortgages totaling 0.35 discount and origination points, with Freddie Mac reporting a similar jump.

After taking a nosedive in April and recovering in May, pending home sales climbed upward at a steady pace over June, according to a sales index released Thursday by the National Association of Realtors. As regions showed signs of recovery, market watchers faulted leery lenders and bad appraisals for a less-than-timely rebound. Releasing the Pending Home Sales Index, NAR revealed encouraging gains in unclosed contracts, as signings went up by 2.4 percent to settle at 90.9 in June.

Plummeting refinance applications crimped Federal Housing Administration mortgage loan applications over June, according to a report issued by the federal agency, with total volume falling 22 percent less than volume at the same time last year. The FHA attributed the plunge to a 50 percent decline in year-over-year numbers for refinance applications. Data from June last year suggests a sharp decline in refinance loan applications, which dropped from 69,876 to 35,367 last month.