Conventional conforming mortgage originations – mostly financed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac – accounted for a record 66.8 percent of total single-family lending last year, according to a new market analysis and ranking by Inside Mortgage Finance. Mortgage lenders originated a whopping $1.273 trillion in conventional conforming mortgages in 2012, the highest level since the all-time record of $2.460 trillion was set back in 2003. Volume in the sector started strong and kept building throughout the year, including a 19.1 percent jump from the third to the fourth quarter. For the year, conventional conforming originations were...[Includes two data charts]

The Federal Housing Finance Agency hasn't totally given up on the issue of "fee for service."

Heavy refinance activity, especially through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, boosted the conventional conforming market by a whopping 35 percent in 2012.

The "Qualified Mortgage" rule will survive any legal testing of the authority of CFPB chief Richard Cordray.

Wells Fargo says it is committed to its remaining joint venture lending partners but isn't giving out any names on the JVs.

The Federal Reserve is open to the idea of making the "qualified residential mortgage" definition in the pending risk-retention rule the same as that of the "qualified mortgage" standard.

Residential fundings are starting to slow as refinancings wane, according to interviews conducted by Inside Mortgage Finance.

Mortgage bankers are promising to wage war over any new guaranty fee hikes that are used for non-residential projects.

The mortgage industry wants the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to clarify whether mortgages subject to repurchase demands will lose their “qualified mortgage” status under the bureau’s new ability-to-repay rule.

Milestone Advisors has picked a winning bidder for the MSR portfolio once owned by Taylor, Bean & Whitaker.