Big 6 banks are doing some spring cleaning of low-margin rates. Lenders are usually quite competitive in April, but spreads (chart below) are getting too tight to hold the line. That's leading to modest jumps of 5 to 15 bps at the majors on a variety of fixed

Vendor take-back mortgages (VTBs) are increasingly becoming the WD-40 of real estate deals—lubricating transactions that might otherwise seize up. With home prices still elevated, rates hanging tough, tighter lending conditions, and fewer sales, free-and-clear sellers are more motivated to extend VTBs. According to commercial real estate lawyer Patrick Gordon