First American Financial Corp., Santa Ana, Calif., said frequency of defects, fraudulence and misrepresentation in the information submitted in mortgage loan applications fell for the sixth consecutive month in September to its lowest level since December 2016.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Federal Reserve Board and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency yesterday announced the threshold for exempting loans from special appraisal requirements for higher-priced mortgage loans during 2020 will increase from $26,700 to $27,200.

AUSTIN, TEXAS--Ransomware attacks are a growing threat in the financial services sector, computer security specialists said here at the Mortgage Bankers Association’s 2019 Annual Convention & Expo.

Commercial servicing software needs to be flexible and scalable. It must accommodate a variety of loan products; include commercial-specific reporting, payment and escrow administration functionality; and provide support for asset managers.

Joe Ludlow is Vice President for Irvine, Calif-based Advantage Systems, a provider of accounting and financial management tools for the mortgage industry.

The Federal Open Market Committee, as expected, cut the federal funds rate by 25 basis points following conclusion of yesterday’s policy meeting.

Mortgage applications rose slightly from one week earlier even as key interest rates reached a three-month high, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported this morning in its Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending October 25.

Steve Ozonian is President and CEO of Williston Financial Group, Portland, Ore.

In this ongoing article series, we report on mortgage and credit union vendor marketplace events and trends, and we then share our viewpoints. The primary theme today is the growth of a few vendors, especially in innovation and technology. We also address the age-old question of "Is bigger better?"

AUSTIN, TEXAS--The Mortgage Bankers Association recognized 72 mortgage professionals--37 from the residential sector and 35 from the commercial/multifamily sector--in a graduation ceremony for the MBA Future Leaders Program here at the association’s 2019 Annual Convention & Expo.

AUSTIN, TEXAS--The MBA Opens Doors Foundation announced its 2019 annual awards, which recognize those who have made lasting contributions to advance the Foundation's mission of providing mortgage and rental assistance grants to parents and guardians caring for critically ill or injured children.