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ClosingCorp recently announced its induction into the Ellie Mae Hall of Fame. The provider of real estate cost data and technology for the mortgage and real estate services industry was selected as the winner of the Lenders’ Choice for Best Service Provider Category.

Down payments are holding back renters from entering the housing market. Mortgage payments tend to be considerably cheaper than a rent payment on a monthly basis, but Zillow’s Housing Aspirations Report found that 70 percent of renters across the country are find high down payment costs to be the top roadblock to homeownership.

Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling still finds fault in the CFPB’s structure, and in Cordray’s leadership. According to Hensarling, Cordray “recklessly ignores the due process protections that have been deeply rooted in our American legal system for centuries." Hensarling hopes the Bureau will become the "cop on the beat" its supporters want.

A new study by Trulia shows that while doctors can still afford most markets, teachers, first responders, and restaurant workers are getting increasingly shut out of markets where they work. Availability for solid, even above-median earners in coastal California is especially low. However, even there, some pockets of affordability exist.

When first-time homebuyers make the jump from renting to homeowning, they have to ask “is it affordable?” For the most part, that answer is yes. Many first-time homebuyers, particularly millennials, have found that owning a home has a more positive impact on their finances than renting.

The second annual Lenders One Mortgage Barometer indicates favorable conditions ahead. First-time buyers, Generation X and millennials are expected to drive demand for mortgages, while lenders are advised to stay creative to meet economic demand drivers. About three in five surveyed lenders anticipate an increase in new homeowners entering the market

According to data released Tuesday, the gap is widening between appraised values and homeowner estimates. This marks the fourth consecutive month that disparity has grown. A few markets bucking the trend include Denver, Dallas, Portland, San Francisco, and Seattle.

Change happens fast, especially in technology. We spoke with Dom Marchetti, CTO of loanDepot about the future of tech in the mortgage industry. Marchetti not only discussed the changing face of tech in terms of mortgage originations, but what roadblocks are preventing the industry from truly advancing technologically.

A new report found that immigrant homebuyers played a big role in helping the housing industry bounce back from the Great Recession—particularly in larger markets. Immigrants are also likely to influence housing trends in the coming years, as their interest in homeownership increases the longer they live in the U.S. According to the report, the suburbs can expect the most growth.

Despite rising home prices, investors are still flocking to the market—and in droves. Investment home sales grew 4.5 percent last year, while the average median investment-home price jumped 8 percent. Low mortgage rates helped to keep investors in the market as prices climbed.