Is Ed DeMarco unimpressed with Fannie and Freddie's return to profitability? “…we should keep the recent reports of positive net income in perspective,” he told the audience of the Bipartisan Policy Center this week. “Much of it has been related to one-time adjustments..."
Banks of all sizes reported sharp declines in their mortgage banking earnings during the third quarter of 2013, according to a new analysis by Inside Mortgage Trends. The refrain from bank management was virtually unanimous: mortgage production dropped significantly and gain-on-sale margins narrowed. Although mortgage servicing right values continued to climb, that doesn’t always translate into improved earnings on that side of the business. A diverse group of 19 lenders – including all ... [Includes one data chart]
The market for servicing sales has been strong for most of 2013, but could get even better between now and year-end as the megabanks look to dump their “legacy” problems and small shops sell mortgage servicing rights to boost earnings in a weak origination market. “It used to be that Bank of America, Wells, and JPM were the buyers [of servicing],” said Tom Piercy, managing member of Interactive Mortgage Advisors, Denver. “Now they’re the sellers. It’s a totally different environment now.” A year ago ...
As lawmakers turn their attention to mortgage finance reform, including a final resolution of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, industry observers point to the current bipartisan effort in the Senate as the most promising avenue to legislative consensus. However, practical complexities and political considerations all but guarantee that the answer to the GSE question won’t be arrived at the easy way or anytime soon.
The ability-to-repay rule issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in January would exclude more than one in five loans originated today from the full “safe harbor” legal protections for so-called qualified mortgages. That’s the chief finding of an analysis of August and September 2013 originations by ComplianceEase, a provider of risk management solutions based in Burlingame, CA. ComplianceAnalyzer, the firm’s patented automated compliance solution, is now capable of auditing loans for ...
BOK Financial is jumping into the online mortgage origination channel with the launch of HomeDirect Mortgage to serve consumers who are increasingly going to the Internet to shop for mortgages. The Tulsa-based company said the new channel complements BOK’s mortgage operation, which originated an estimated $4 billion in loans through its retail channel in 2012. As a “direct” lender with an automated online application system, HomeDirect is aiming for homebuyers who are computer savvy and searching ...
In the aftermath of the 16-day partial government shutdown, mortgage lenders have decided to continue suspension of the tax transcript requirement for borrower income verification until the Internal Revenue Service has caught up with the backlog of requests for the transcripts. According to lenders, even though normal operations have resumed at federal agencies, the IRS has fallen behind on processing lender requests for the 4506-T Form, which is a borrower’s transcript of tax return provided by the ...
With the era of “easy refinances” in the past, lenders are working to increase their purchase-mortgage originations. Industry consultants suggest focusing on lead-generation and providing value to potential borrowers as opposed to competing with other lenders based solely on interest rates. Garth Graham, head of Stratmor Group’s marketing strategy and execution practice, said lenders should use the leads and data they already have to increase purchase-mortgage originations. He noted that ...
Community banks in several states are working to increase their market share of mortgage originations as nonbanks have exited their markets, according to the Conference of State Bank Supervisors. However, credit unions have also gotten more aggressive with their lending, posing a threat to community banks. Charles Vice, chairman of the CSBS and commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Financial Institutions, said regulators in 28 states held more than 50 town hall meetings this year with community banks ...
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