Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes increased five points to 76 in December off an upwardly revised November reading to its highest reading since June 1999, the National Association of Home Builders reported yesterday.

ATTOM Data Solutions, Irvine, Calif., reported U.S. foreclosure activity fell by 10 percent in November from October and by 6 percent from a year ago.

MBA in late November released its Quarterly Performance Report for the third quarter. The total sample of 338 independent mortgage banks and mortgage subsidiaries of chartered banks earned an average pre-tax production profit of $1,924 on each loan they originated–a substantial year-over-year improvement from $480 per loan in third quarter 2018.