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Three mortgage insurers wrote $7.1 billion in newly originated primary mortgage insurance in April, up from $3.7 billion last year, according to the Mortgage Insurance Companies of America. MICA said that the companies, including Genworth Mortgage Insurance Corp., Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corp., and Radian Guaranty Inc., fielded new primary insurance from $6.7 billion in March. Some 30,575 borrowers used private mortgage insurance to buy or refinance their homes in April. The insurers reported 22,569 defaults and 20,678 cures in April.

As the debt crisis in Europe continues to worsen and investors look to Treasury bonds for security, fixed mortgage rates fell to all-time record lows in the last week of May. According to the results of Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey, the 30-year fixed averaged 3.75 percent with an average 0.8 point for the week ending May 31. This is down from 3.88 percent the previous week and 4.55 percent at the same time last year. The 15-year fixed rate mortgage also fell, bringing three of the four benchmark mortgage rates under 3 percent.

First time claims for unemployment insurance rose to 383,000 up from the prior week├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔÇ×┬ós 373,000, revised up from the previously reported 370,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. Economists had expected the report would be unchanged at 370,000 initial claims.

Despite record-low mortgage rates, mortgage applications fell 1.3 percent last week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. The trade group found that mortgage loan application volume declined by a seasonally adjusted 1.3 percent. It fell 1.6 percent on a seasonally unadjusted basis.The Refinance Index climbed down by 1.5 percent from the week before, with declines on the way for the seasonally adjusted Purchase Index by 0.6 percent. The same index went down by a seasonally unadjusted 1.8 percent.

In a study the first of its kinds, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reported Wednesday in urban areas across three regions of the country owning a home near a national wildlife refuge increases home value and helps support the surrounding community's tax base. The survey, conducted by economic researches at the University of North Carolina, found three regions that showed a home value increase: 7 percent to 9 percent in the Southeast, 4 percent to 5 percent in the Northeast, and 3 percent to 6 percent in California and Nevada. Tourism to the refuges also plays a role in in the increase.

The thirteenth largest servicer in the nation, Dallas-based American Home Mortgage Servicing, Inc., announced Tuesday a company-wide re-launch under a new brand: Homeward Residential, Inc.

The Pending Home Sales Index gave back its entire March increase in April, falling to 95.5 from 101.1 one month earlier, the National Association of Realtors reported Wednesday. The March index was revised downward from the originally reported 101.4 adding to the gloomy report. Economists had expected the Index to increase 0.5 percent from March. Even with the decline though, the index is up 14.4 percent since April 2011, but is now at its lowest level since December, dampening expectations.

Investors helped keep interest rates for mortgage loans in record-low territory this week, as European Union leaders grappled with lurking debt crises in Spain and Italy. Real estate Web site Zillow recorded the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at 3.6 percent, just above an all-time low of 3.59 percent set two weeks before. Rates for 15-year loans averaged 2.91 percent, while those for 5-year and 1-year adjustable-rate mortgages hovered at 2.54 percent. Rates for 30-year fixed-rate loans largely fell in most states, climbing only in Illinois, New York, and Washington.

The Case Shiller Home Price Indexes fell for the seventh straight month in March. The drop in the broader 20-city index was barely noticeable ├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔé¼┼ô down to 134.10 from 134.14 in February ├â┬ó├óÔÇÜ┬¼├óÔé¼┼ô while the 10-city index fell to 146.61 from 146.74. Year-over-year, the 10-city index was down 2.8 percent and the 20-city index off 2.6 percent, improving from February. Economists had expected the 20-city index to show a 2.7 percent year-over-year decline. Separately, the national Case Shiller Index, reported quarterly, was down 2.0 percent in the first quarter.

Advisory and risk management company MCT Trading, Inc., announced Friday the addition of a new member to its capital markets trading team.