“Watt will not lower the ceiling for 2014,” said one mortgage insurance executive. “Maybe, he will change them at some point but, not next year.”

The jumbo market accounted for 16.7 percent of total mortgage originations during the third quarter of 2013 and was much stronger than other sectors.

During the first nine months of 2013, there were 512 different companies that sold mortgages to the government-sponsored enterprises that had been originated by loan correspondents of mortgage brokers. Some 324 of these lenders were involved in the broker-wholesale channel.

Elsewhere, in the report FHFA claims significant progress has been made on the development and initial testing of the GSEs’ common securitization platform.

The civil action entails the alleged taking from WJB of some 5,000 loan files. It should be noted that these aren’t just any LOs – the group in question ranks among the top producers in the nation.

Residential originators have altered their processes and interactions with brokers to reduce potential underwriting and appraisal defects.

Some sellers of residential servicing rights are selling bulk, but are also entering into "flow" components.

The IG's office of the Federal Housing Finance Agency is working with various U.S. Attorneys on reviews of lenders’ loan origination practices to determine their compliance with enterprise requirements.

As a group, banks and thrifts reported net earnings of $4.76 billion on their mortgage-banking activity during the third quarter, a 42 percent drop from the second quarter.

In letters to two government agencies, a group of 10 Democrat lawmakers said the FHFA should continue to provide access to government-sponsored enterprise MBS guaranties and the Department of Housing and Urban Development should allow FHA mortgage insurance in such communities.