Sales of newly built, single-family homes rose 2.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 454,000 units in April, according to newly released figures from HUD and the U.S. Census Bureau. The gain builds on a strong upward revision to sales numbers reported for the previous month.Click to continue

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has ordered a Texas homebuilder, Paul Taylor, to surrender more than $100,000 he received in kickbacks for referring mortgage origination business to Benchmark Bank and to Willow Bend Mortgage Company. The Bureau is also prohibiting Taylor from engaging in future real estate settlement services, including mortgage origination.Click to continue

The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) has approved MBA’s underwriter training program for HUD’s Multifamily Accelerated Processing (MAP) program which will count toward satisfying a significant portion of HUD’s requirements for MAP Underwriter approval, the MBA announced. Candidates who complete the six-month program will get credit for half of the three years of experience as an underwriter now required by HUD for MAP underwriter approval, as well as a reduction in the number of files candidates must underwrite prior to approval.Click to continue

The national negative equity rate fell in the first quarter, to 25.4 percent of all homeowners with a mortgage, according to the first quarter Zillow Negative Equity Report. But another 18.2 percent of homeowners with mortgages, while not technically underwater, likely do not have enough equity to afford to move. Slightly more than 13 million homeowners with a mortgage were in negative equity, or underwater, at the end of the first quarter, owing more on their mortgage than their home is worth.Click to continue

Lender Processing Services Inc. (LPS) has reported the following "first look" at April 2013 month-end mortgage performance statistics derived from its loan-level database representing approximately 70 percent of the overall market. Total U.S. loan delinquency rate (loans 30 or more days past due, but not in foreclosure) stood at 6.21 percent, while the month-over-month change in delinquency rate was -5.81 percent. Click to continue

Rates on the most popular types of mortgages moved upward, according to HSH.com's Weekly Mortgage Rates Radar. The average rate for conforming 30-year fixed-rate mortgages rose by seven basis points (0.07 percent) to 3.68 percent. Conforming 5/1 Hybrid ARM rates increased by three basis points, closing the Wednesday-to-Tuesday wraparound weekly survey at an average of 2.62 percent.Click to continue

U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan announced that HUD will speed federal disaster assistance to the State of Oklahoma in addition to resources being provided by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other federal partners.  HUD will provide support to homeowners and low-income renters forced from their homes due to tornadoes and severe storms.Click to continue

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has praised Sens. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Johnny Isakson (R-GA) for introducing bipartisan legislation to encourage residential construction lending, spur job growth and keep the housing and economic recovery on track. "Sens. Menendez and Isakson know that a robust housing market is vital to generate jobs and maintain a vibrant economy," said NAHB Chairman Rick Judson, a home builder and developer from Charlotte, N.C.Click to continue

Existing-home sales rose in April, but remain below underlying demand because of limited inventory and tight credit, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR). All regions are showing strong price gains from a year ago. Total existing-home sales, which are completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, increased 0.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.97 million in April from an upwardly revised 4.94 million in March. Resale activity is 9.7 percent above the 4.53 million-unit level in April 2012.Click to continue

The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) has released “End Too-Big-To-Fail,” a report that examines the impact of too-big-to-fail financial institutions on the U.S. economy and why too-big-to-fail must be brought to an end now. In the report, ICBA also highlights the Terminating Bailouts for Taxpayer Fairness Act of 2013 (TBTF Act, S. 798), introduced by Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and David Vitter (R-LA), as a valid solution to curb the too-big-to-fail epidemic. The document also addresses common myths and facts about the legislation.Click to continue