New capabilities will assist lenders in calculating income more quickly and precisely, thus reducing risk and helping serve more qualified borrowers.

“Overall, the study revealed that Raleigh, North Carolina; Charlotte, North Carolina; and St. Louis are the three best metropolitan areas for homeownership. Each of these metros ranks among the lowest for share of homes lacking complete plumbing and kitchen facilities (both are lowest in Raleigh), meaning they appear to have relatively high-quality housing available,” said LendingTree Senior Economist Jacob Channel.