Your only mortgage loans news source! Click on each item to read full story.   Mortgage rates jump slightly (Bankrate.com) read story Most mortgage rates went up this week, but that was almost beside the point in the country's expensive housing markets. Finally, the rates on the new jumbo-conforming loans went down.   Mortgage applications rise in latest week: MBA (Reuters via Yahoo! News) read story Mortgage applications rose for a second consecutive week, fueled by a jump in demand for home refinancing loans as interest rates dropped, an industry group said on Wednesday.   Mortgage rates decline slightly (CNN Money) read story Rates on 30-year mortgages eased this week, but remained above 6%, as signs that the overall economy is recovering helped offset ongoing weakness in the housing market, mortgage backer Freddie Mac said Thursday.   Citi Sells Australia's 1st Mortgage Bond in 5 Months (Update2) (Bloomberg.com) read story May 16 (Bloomberg) -- Citigroup Inc. , the biggest U.S. bank by assets, reopened Australia's mortgage-backed bond market by offering investors a record high yield margin on A$500 million ($470 million) of securities.   FBI Says Nevada Primed for Mortgage Fraud (KLAS Las Vegas) read story Across the country foreclosure filings were up 65-percent compared to the same time last year. You might say our housing market is primed for mortgage fraud. A new FBI report says loans to high-risk borrowers fueled this crisis. Reporter Aaron Drawhorn takes a look at the problem.   Jumbo loans still difficult to get (The Nashua Telegraph) read story Higher loan limits, set by the federal government as part of an economic stimulus package early this year, were supposed to make jumbo loans more affordable in expensive housing markets. ...   Mortgage analysis (Bankrate.com via Yahoo! Finance) read story Each week Bankrate surveys mortgage rates around the country, and senior reporter Holden Lewis analyzes what the changes mean.   Islamic finance firms provide mortgage alternative (The Nashua Telegraph) read story WASHINGTON -- The mortgage industry may be in meltdown, but at least one class of lender appears to be flourishing: Islamic finance companies that offer Muslim homebuyers alternative arrangements such as lease-to-own deals so they can avoid making the sort of interest payments that many believe... ... - By N.C. AIZENMAN The Washington Post   BofA: More losses likely in home-equity loans (The Charlotte Observer) read story As home values continue to fall, Bank of America Corp. is preparing for deeper losses on home-equity loans, a top executive said Tuesday. The Charlotte bank's planned acquisition of troubled mortgage lender Countrywide Financial Corp., however, remains on track "at this point," consumer and small business banking executive Liam McGee said at an investor conference in New York. Bank of America ...   Elusive Senate housing bill inches forward (CNN Money) read story Key lawmakers spent Thursday trying to broker a deal on a bill that would allow the government to insure up to $300 billion of home loans and overhaul oversight of key players in the mortgage industry.