Roughly 40 to 50 percent of Citadel's production goes on its balance sheet.

Among the many challenges associated with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s pending integrated disclosure rule is expanded legal liability for lenders based on the more threatening Truth in Lending Act, as opposed to the more palatable liability framework of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act. During a webinar sponsored last week by Inside Mortgage Finance, Rich Horn, a partner with the Dentons law firm and one of the architects of the rule while a regulator at the CFPB, noted there is no private right of action for integrated disclosures under RESPA. On the other hand, with TILA liability, “there is...

The Federal Housing Finance Agency is pushing back against the findings of its Inspector General that the agency rushed a mandated new representation and warranty framework “despite significant and unresolved operational risks” to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Announced in September 2012 and implemented Jan. 1, 2013, the framework relieved sellers from certain reps and warrants, including those relating to credit underwriting and eligibility of the borrower and the property that were formerly effective for the life of the loan. It allowed for repurchase relief to seller/servicers if mortgages acquired by the government-sponsored enterprises after the effective date had acceptable payment history for 36 months. And the GSEs apparently weren’t...

On its stated-income product, Homewood requires a minimum of three months of bank statements for both business and personal assets.

As part of the transaction, Cobalt co-founders Keith Tibbles and Ernie Gehre will stay with the company, which will become a division of Caliber.

Purchase-mortgage originations jumped 44.3 percent from the first quarter of 2014 to the second quarter, according to a new Inside Mortgage Finance analysis and ranking, with first-time homebuyers representing about 43.9 percent of agency activity in the sector. Purchase mortgages accounted for 64.1 percent of total mortgage production during the second quarter. That’s the highest purchase share since 1995, when financing for home purchases represented 67.2 percent of total originations. At the midway point of 2014, purchase-mortgage originations were up...[Includes four data charts]

The biggest chunk of purchase business for the GSEs were loans ranging from $200,000 to $300,000, which accounted for 29.4 percent of their business.

The MBA argued that the DOL didn’t follow rulemaking procedures in 2010 when the regulator withdrew guidance stating that loan officers could be exempt from overtime compensation requirements...

Although there appears to be strong interest these days in mortgage banking firms, the outlook isn’t particularly bright for commercial banks.

“Law enforcement has been on a bit of a run with settlements and enforcement," said Jim Parrott, a former Obama administration point man on housing.