A growing number of mortgage-industry groups, housing interests and Democrats on Capitol Hill are urging the Federal Housing Finance Agency to allow Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to begin to restore their capital bases, while others urge the FHFA to leave the matter to Congress. The Mortgage Bankers Association joined with four other groups this week in urging the FHFA to maintain the current state of conservatorship for the two government-sponsored enterprises and let Congress tackle broad mortgage-finance reform. “Absent reform, we run the risk of continuing to kick the can down the road without ensuring ongoing access to mortgage credit for millions of future homeowners,” the groups said. Joining the MBA were...

A bill making its way through the New York state legislature has prompted concerns among servicers and the Mortgage Bankers Association, who warn that the bill’s requirements regarding abandoned properties would increase costs and legal risks for servicers. A.6932-A, the Abandoned Property Neighborhood Relief Act, was recently approved by New York’s Assembly on a 116-22 vote. The bill would require servicers to periodically inspect properties tied to delinquent mortgages, report vacant properties to a state registry and provide authorities with tools to prompt servicers to maintain abandoned properties, among other provisions. “There is...

A coalition of multi-sectoral groups is urging the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to work with other federal agencies to provide strong protections for mortgage applicants and homeowners who have limited English proficiency (LEP). The Americans for Financial Reform, an umbrella organization for more than 200 civil rights, consumer, labor, business, investors, faith-based, and civic and community groups, said that while the CFPB has taken steps to assist LEP consumers, the agency and federal banking regulators should go further to make the mortgage marketplace fully and fairly accessible to these consumers. “Mortgage origination and servicing must be...

The bid deadline on the $783 million portfolio is June 16. The other deal – heavy with Texas product – has a bid decline of June 15.

Last year, $18.8 billion in outstanding IOs in non-agency MBS hit 10-year recasts…

Equity Prime Mortgage of Atlanta said it’s hiring in all areas, including sales, servicing, operations and compliance…

However, Fitch did raise concerns about the expenses associated with Pentalpha Surveillance, which will review potential breaches of representations and warranties…

Another bank seeing a pickup in clients is Southwest Bank, Dallas…

Rumor has it that a mid-sized nonbank based in the Western U.S. is entertaining takeover offers...

JPMorgan Chase may not like FHA loans very much, but it certainly has a strong appetite for jumbos, hence the huge growth in its retained portfolio...