Two firms are offering new services that they claim will help lenders prevent buyback requests from the government-sponsored enterprises or prevail in buyback disputes. Both services rely on verification of loan characteristics. Equifax announced last week that it significantly enhanced its “retro income verification service,” known as “Point In Time.” The firm said its offering will help reduce repurchase requests by delivering the most current and accurate loan-level verification of a borrower’s ...

Seeing a business opportunity with the ongoing explosion in new mortgage rulemaking, software providers LendingQB and DocuTech recently formed a strategic alliance, integrating their platforms and enabling their clients to streamline their compliance document preparation. LendingQB is a Costa Mesa, CA-based company that specializes in loan origination technology and services for the mortgage industry. DocuTech, based in Idaho Falls, ID, is a provider of enterprise-class compliant ...

Rising home values and mortgage interest rates drove down nationwide housing affordability in the second quarter, while a projected slowdown in labor force growth suggests weaker future housing activity, various industry analyses indicate. In its latest home price analysis, CoreLogic reported an 11.9 percent year-over-year increase in June 2013 for home prices nationwide, including distressed loans. This represents the 16th consecutive monthly increase in home prices [Includes one data chart] ...

If you're looking for a g-fee bargain, Freddie Mac is offering deals. Well, sort of.

Michael Chan, vice president of ComplianceEase, has come up with a check-list that should be part of every lender's due diligence effort.

FBR notes that a key provision in the draft QRM rule is that any mortgage securitized by Fannie or Freddie is automatically a QRM.

Cole Taylor Mortgage is talking to several semi-finalists that want to buy the company. Meanwhile, it's business as usual at the bank-owned lender.

The FHA has consulted with the CFPB regarding the impact of faulty TILA disclosures, which could spell trouble for the industry.

PennyMac is once again stepping up to the NPL plate with some major deals. Meanwhile, cash-out refis continue to dwindle.

Residential mortgage production remained fairly strong in the second quarter thanks to an increase in retail-channel originations, which reached an all-time high of 64.6 percent in market share, according to a new analysis and ranking by Inside Mortgage Finance. The surge in retail production appears largely tied to ongoing strength in refinance activity. But lenders that are turning their attention to the purchase-mortgage market should consider that correspondents (34.8 percent) and brokers (22.0 percent) had higher concentrations of purchase loans than retail producers (19.3 percent) during the second quarter, based on Fannie/Freddie activity. Wells Fargo, as usual, continued...[Includes five data charts]