Up until recently, if a mortgage joint venture of Wells Fargo asked its partner if the megabank was still feeling the love for joint ventures, the answer would’ve been yes. At least that’s the word from one JV executive who received the news recently that Wells was tossing all of its origination JVs overboard. Earlier in the year, the bank told its two largest JVs – HomeServices Lending and Prosperity Mortgage – that everything was hunky dory. Well, apparently not. Of course, both Home and Prosperity needn’t worry...

With the prospect of the qualified mortgage right around the bend for the mortgage lending industry, it could be easy for lenders to be so focused on getting their points-and-fees calculation to a point of near-perfection. But don't lose sight of your third-party vendors. Michael Chan, vice president at ComplianceEase in Burlingame, CA, gave some attendees at a recent Inside Mortgage Finance webinar on the QM a list of features and characteristics that should be part of a lender's every due diligence effort to vet and review a...

House Financial Services Chairman Jeb Hensarling, R-TX, and House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, R-CA, sent a letter to CFPB Director Richard Cordray recently, expressing concerns that senior employees have left the bureau in order to profit from the very rules they helped create. “Simply put, it appears that former CFPB employees are now offering financial products in a market sector created by the very rules they were in a position to influence while working in senior leadership positions...

Investors searching for residential servicing rights can take a run at new offerings from Interactive Mortgage Advisors and MIAC, among others.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid appears to have come out in support of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. But will other elected officials follow suit?

As refinancings continue to fall, lenders that specialize in such loans will see their franchise values drop dramatically.

The guidance, effective October 15, applies to manually underwritten FHA loans and requires lenders to document reasons for approving a mortgage when the borrower has collection accounts or judgments.

Combining their year-to-date results, the FHA and VA reported $105.5 billion of single-family originations during the second quarter of 2013.

Even with the incentive fees offered by the HAMP program, residential servicers favor proprietary mods.

HUD Seeks Comment on Proposed Multifamily Rule. The Department of Housing and Urban Development is seeking comment on proposed changes to regulations covering contract rights and obligations of FHA multifamily lenders. When a lender finances multifamily loans through bonds or bond anticipation notes, it uses the FHA insurance claim funds to pay off the remaining bond debts. At times, the claims payments are greater than the remaining bond debts. The proposed rule would require lenders to return to the FHA the excess bond funds that remain after ...