Securitization, particularly non-agency securitization of subprime and Alt A mortgages, has been widely blamed for the recent financial crisis, although less-studied home-equity loans also may have contributed, according to a government working paper. Results suggested that securitized home-equity loans have higher default risk and produce greater loss severity than similar loans held in portfolio by lenders, according to authors Michael LaCour-Little, a professor of finance at California State University at Fullerton, and Yanan Zhang, a financial economist at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. The authors sampled...

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac issued $141.83 billion of single-family MBS during the second quarter, an encouraging 9.4 percent increase from the dreary levels recorded in the first three months of 2014.

A tax "extender" for mortgage insurance would help an already-healthy MI industry.

One MI CEO, who we called, said this: “Thanks for reaching out. We, along with the other MIs are currently in confidential discussions with FHFA and the GSEs regarding the new standards. Unfortunately, we cannot comment until they are public.”

Oh, the irony: tough compliance regulations drive up the cost of renovating the HQ of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

The sale of mortgages by banks took it on the chin in the first quarter. Lower originations is one explanation but are banks keeping more of their own production?

NAMB estimates that during the same year brokers nationwide rebated upwards of $2 billion to consumers at the closing table.

Nonbank capital rules from the FHFA will add certainty to the MSR market, but there will plenty of indigestion along the way.

Phoenix Capital said it has worked with Steel Mountain executives on different projects for 20 years.

It should be noted that after the FHFA IG report was released, the share value of Nationstar, Ocwen and Walter all suffered in trading...