The secondary market for mortgage servicing rights is starting to look a bit frothy, so much so that many bulk offerings today garner upwards of 12 bidders per auction. A year ago just a handful of investors showed up. But that isn’t deterring Michael Lau, CEO of Pingora Asset Management, who earlier this year raised $500 million to buy MSRs. Lau said Pingora is plowing ahead with its acquisition plans, careful not to overpay while concentrating on “flow” deals on new originations. “We’re actively doing...

Loan standards are not loosening on conventional mortgages, but in the jumbo space the story is entirely different.

A widely-expected reduction in conforming loan limits for 2014 would help the jumbo market continue to broaden its footprint in mortgage originations, but the impact would be largely confined to a handful of states, according to a new Inside Mortgage Finance analysis. Jumbo production – originations of home loans that exceed varying conforming loan limits around the country – has been the brightest spot in a mortgage outlook made increasingly gloomy by rising interest rates. Non-agency jumbo originations rose 9.3 percent from the first to the second quarter, while total originations of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHA loans fell 3.8 percent. Jumbo mortgages accounted...[Includes four data charts]

Five Oaks Investment, a publicly traded REIT, plans to acquire mortgages from jumbo lenders on a flow and bulk basis.

The letter to members of Congress is notable for which trade groups didn't sign on, including the American Bankers Association and Mortgage Bankers Association.

Large parts of the Bay Area and Southern California qualify for the top high-cost limit, while other California markets such as San Diego ($546,250) and Sacramento ($474,950) have intermediate high-cost limits.

CFPB director Richard Cordray could be softening somewhat in response to the mortgage industry’s plea for regulatory enforcement relief when the new rules take effect in January.

Banking regulators are showing new concerns about appraisal management companies, especially those owned by depositories.

It's been five long years since Uncle Sam seized Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Is time to give them back to shareholders?

The city council’s favorable vote represents a rare notch in the win column for MRP, which has suffered numerous defeats in local jurisdictions across the nation, likely at a substantial loss to the firm’s financial backers.