Since Monday of this week, four mortgage-related merger deals have been unveiled, setting in motion what could turn out to be a long awaited mini-boom in activity. But can it last? So far, all of the transactions entail small- to medium-sized lenders, with most facilitated through “asset purchases” as opposed to stock sales. The one exception is the announcement by the publicly traded EverBank Financial that it’s currently engaged in takeover talks with what it called a “well-respected financial services company.” EverBank, which ranked 40th in originations for the first half of 2016 according to a tally byInside Mortgage Finance, is...[Includes one data table]

Among the top 10 residential lenders in 2Q16, Caliber Home Loans had the largest sequential gain at 51.9 percent, according to an analysis by Inside Mortgage Finance…

TRID 2.0 could arrive in early August instead…

Two Harbors has been a major player on the post-crisis jumbo MBS market and was even the top-ranked jumbo MBS issuer in the first half of 2016…

New applications are at an all-time high at Skyline Home Loans in California…

Financial Freedom’s operation is the subject of an investigation being conducted by the HUD IG's office...

The mortgage-origination market roared to life during the second quarter of 2016 with an estimated $510 billion in new lending, according to an exclusive new Inside Mortgage Finance analysis and ranking. Nearly all lenders reported hefty increases in production – some 50 percent or more – compared to the first three months of the year. As a group, the top 25 lenders for the second quarter originated 31.7 percent more new loans than in the first three months of the year. The estimated $510 billion in originations during the most recent period was...[Includes two data tables]

The decline in interest rates after the Brexit vote in late June has boosted mortgage originations in recent weeks and caused problems for holders of mortgage servicing rights, according to industry participants at the California Mortgage Bankers Association’s Western Secondary Market Conference in San Francisco this week. Mike Duncan, a hedge manager at Compass Analytics, said 25 percent of his firm’s clients were over capacity at the end of May and 40 percent were over capacity by the end of June. He predicted that over-capacity rates could go even higher if interest rates stay low, increasing demand for refinances. Compass provides pricing, valuation and interest rate risk-management services. Rob Branthover, a managing director at Mortgage Industry Advisory Corp., added...

As of press time, it’s not clear whether the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will release its proposed rule clarifying certain aspects of its Truth in Lending Act/Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act Integrated Disclosure Rule – TRID – before the end of July, the agency’s original timeframe. Joe Ventrone, vice president and deputy chief for regulatory affairs at the National Association of Realtors, said his organization is now looking at an August release and does not anticipate major changes. “However, the CFPB will put in writing all previous informal guidance [it has] given heretofore,” he said. “I think all the guidance will be important if it gives lenders and vendors comfort against enforcement reprisals.” NAR is...

In late January of this year, American International Group announced its intention to spin off 10 percent of its top-ranked mortgage insurance affiliate, United Guaranty Corp., but almost seven months later no deal has materialized. According to interviews conducted by Inside Mortgage Finance this week, it’s been “radio silent” regarding the initial public offering, but all that could change next week when AIG releases its second quarter results. A spokesman for UGC declined to comment on the matter. Most of the observers believe...