Ohio

The share of severely underwater mortgages shrunk by over two percentage points compared with a year ago, as these borrowers benefited from the rise in equity levels, Attom Data Solutions said.

The industry has long worried that the ability-to-repay rule gives borrowers an avenue to fight foreclosure, but one plaintiff’s experience may discourage others from trying.

Executives at Key pushed back against doubts over a deal for Laurel Road Bank’s digital lending platform so late in the credit cycle, arguing that its customers are prime borrowers with high incomes.

Home values grew during 2017 at their fastest pace in four years and the same supply and demand dynamics behind that increase remain in place for 2018.

Nearly 1.4 million residential properties were vacant as of the end of the third quarter, representing 1.58% of all U.S. residential properties, according to Attom Data Solutions.