Purchase-mortgage originations continued to grow during the third quarter of 2013, with a significant share of the loans coming from loan correspondents, according to a new ranking and analysis by Inside Mortgage Finance. Lenders generated an estimated $218.0 billion in purchase mortgages during the third quarter, the highest three-month volume since the third quarter of 2007. That was up 17.2 percent from the second quarter and it brought year-to-date production to $583.0 billion, up 30.4 percent from the same period in 2012. Refinance production continued...[Includes four data charts]

The Federal Housing Finance Agency this week announced it would direct Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to implement a three-pronged adjustment in guaranty fee the two government-sponsored enterprises charge lenders, including a 10 basis point g-fee hike beginning in March. The increases – which would boost the average guaranty fee for new loans to over 60 bps – are part of the FHFA’s strategic plan for Fannie and Freddie to attract more private capital to the mortgage market and “improve the relationship between g-fee and risk,” according to FHFA Acting Director Edward DeMarco. As part of the plan, Fannie and Freddie will drop...

Want to sell a large chunk of MSRs? If it's Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac product you'll have to run the deal past the FHFA.

Officials close to the matter said the MI policy briefing was cancelled due to Senate approval of a new permanent director to the agency, Mel Watt, a former North Carolina Congressman.

In certain ways, HUD’s "qualified mortgage" definition is less restrictive than the CFPB edict, including setting no limit on a borrower’s debt-to-income ratio.

“We are expecting to see people trying to inflate their income or hiding and downplaying their monthly obligations,” said Interthinx's Ann Fulmer.

Senior lawmakers in the Senate said they remain “bullish” on moving legislation to the floor sooner rather than later in 2014.

Mortgage debt outstanding is on the rise again after after five long years of winter. Should mortgage servicers pop the champagne?

A ton of new servicing deals have hit the market. But will regulatory scrutiny throw a monkey wrench into the transactions?

Investors hunger for yield. And what better place to get it than in the new breed of subprime mortgages.