During the next 12 months, investors will have to navigate through numerous uncertainties, including all forms of policy risk: monetary, fiscal, economic and the fate of the GSEs.

While banks have put an emphasis on originating jumbo mortgages for portfolio, the uptick in total mortgages outstanding was largely driven by originations of agency mortgages.

Freedom has big expansion plans for the new year. Company CEO and founder Stan Middleman recently told IMFnews Daily that he plans to hire between 200 and 500 residential loan officers in 2014.

Most of the underlying mortgages have terms of six to nine months, but with a warehouse line in place the terms could range from three to five years.

A few months ago, sources close to the BofA case, said the FHFA was hoping for a settlement in the range of $13 billion.

Will well-known mortgage trainer Barry Habib stick with Residential Finance Corp., a company whose assets are in the process of being sold? It’s hard to say since RFC isn’t answering questions on about the firm’s future.

In the latest year-end closeout of buyback deals before the ball drops on 2013, Flagstar Bancorp announced late Monday that it has entered into an agreement with Freddie Mac to “resolve substantially” claims that the bank sold faulty mortgage loans to the GSE between 2000 and 2008.

Ratings on servicer advance asset-backed securities issued by Home Loan Servicing Solutions and Nationstar Mortgage could be downgraded due to a change in rating criteria by Standard & Poor’s that was implemented after the ABS were issued.

The new requirements become effective for FHA case numbers assigned on or after March 11, 2014. Comments are due by Feb. 10, 2014.

Two Harbors' recent move to gain access to the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines through an insurance affiliate “will add a dedicated funding source for Two Harbors, and while limitations and restrictions will apply, it should alleviate some market concern regarding the potential for declining liquidity in the repo market.”