Secondary Market

May was a strong month for home sales in Connecticut, the Warren Group reported. According to the group, sales in the state rose 2.9 percent year-over-year to 2,356. It was the highest number of transactions recorded for the month since May 2010 and the first time since January that sales volume increased on a yearly basis.

Homebuyer interest diminished somewhat in June, according to Redfin's Real-Time Demand Pulse. According to the brokerage, the number of customers taking tours fell 1.9 percent month-over-month in June, sinking even further than the 1.5 percent drop recorded last year. For the last week of the month, Redfin reported a 2.7 percent decline in tour requests from the prior week (compared to a 2.3 percent decline the same week in 2012). With closed sales typically peaking each year in June, Redfin expects continued monthly declines.

Adding new pressures for the Federal Reserve, the nation's economy added 195,000 jobs in June, leaving the unemployment rate unchanged at 7.6.percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported Friday. Economists had forecast payrolls would grow by 165,000, and that the unemployment rate would dip to 7.5 percent.

United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM), the fourth largest wholesale mortgage lender in the United States, announced the rollout of a new program designed to give brokers the option to waive escrows up to 90 percent loan-to-value ratio (LTV) on all conventional products.

Stewart Lender Services (SLS) announced the appointment of Jessica Thorne as SVP and strategic relationship manager.

First-time claims for unemployment insurance fell for the fourth time in the last five weeks, dropping 5,000 to 343,000 for week ending June 29, the Labor Department reported Wednesday. The four-week moving average of first-time claims dropped 750 to 345,500. The four-week moving average of continuing claims declined 9,500 to 2,969,250 for the period ending June 22.

Nationstar Mortgage announced it is revising losses on loans with principal forbearances acquired in 2012 from Aurora Bank FSB and Aurora Loan Services.

Carrington Mortgage Holdings, LLC announced it has been recognized with a 2013 Innovation Award for Enhancing Learning Services by Skillsoft.

A North Dakota judge sentenced two officers from an Arizona mortgage originator for their roles in a $28 million scheme to defraud North Dakota-based BNC National Bank.

Stearns Lending, Inc., a California-based lender with retail, wholesale, and correspondent business channels, announced the appointment of Mike Liane as regional sales leader for the retail division.