Fidelity National Information Services on acquisition streak

Fidelity National Information Services Inc. says it has agreed to buy EFD/eFunds Corp. for $1.8 billion -- the second acquisition announced by the company this week.

FIS, which provides processing, information services and outsourcing for financial institutions, mortgage lenders and retailers, said it will finance the acquisition of EFD with cash on hand and long-term debt.  more...

Home loan apps in 2-week slide

Declining interest rates weren't enough to inspire home purchases or refinancings last week, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported today, as loan applications were down again.

The market composite index, which measures total home loan volume, fell 3.9 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis from the week before.  more...

Another dip in overnight real estate rates

Long-term mortgage interest rates sank again Tuesday, and the benchmark 10-year Treasury bond yield held at 5.08 percent.

The 30-year fixed-rate average dropped to 6.3 percent, and the 15-year fixed rate dipped to 6 percent. The 1-year adjustable stood at 5.54 percent.

The 30-year Treasury bond yield stayed at 5.2 percent.

Rates and bonds are current as of 7:15 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.  more...

InmanTV: Online leads

Dave Marron, CEO of SphereBuilder, talks to Inman News Editor Jessica Swesey about the evolving role of lead generators, and understanding the math involved in strategizing conversion points.

Home builder Lennar Corp. reports $244M Q2 loss

Lennar Corp. (NYSE: LEN), one of largest U.S. home builders, this week reported a second-quarter net loss of $244.2 million, compared with net earnings of $324.7 million for second-quarter 2006.

That represents a loss of $1.55 per diluted share for the quarter ended May 31. Following the earnings announcement, the company's stock price per share dropped $1.20 on Tuesday to $37.55.  more...