While some banks have reduced their FHA lending in recent years and alternatives from the government-sponsored enterprises are still gaining traction, homebuyers still have access to low-downpayment mortgage programs, according to the latest Campbell/Inside Mortgage Finance HousingPulse Tracking Survey. “Most real estate agents say high loan-to-value ratio mortgages are readily available, especially for homebuyers with good credit,” said Tom Popik, research director for Campbell Surveys. The HousingPulse survey covering activity in June included...

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau any day now could release its long-awaited regulation finalizing its proposed amendments to its 2013 mortgage servicing rules, posing yet another compliance challenge and requiring one more round of systems upgrades from the industry as a result. According to a consensus of industry experts, the two biggest subject areas have to do with bankruptcy proceedings and successors in interest. “On the eve of the servicing rules taking effect, the bureau made...

Ginnie Mae edged past Freddie Mac in servicing outstanding on single-family mortgages tied to mortgage-backed securities during the second quarter of 2016, according to a new ranking and analysis by Inside Mortgage Finance. MBS disclosure reports show the supply of Ginnie mortgage servicing rights grew 2.1 percent during the second quarter, climbing to $1.576 trillion, excluding multifamily and reverse mortgage MBS. The supply of Freddie single-family servicing edged up just 0.4 percent from March, reaching $1.558 trillion and slipping to third in the agency MSR market. Fannie Mae single-family MSR servicing declined...[Includes two data tables]

While Republicans continue to work toward decreasing the CFPB’s powers, former CFPB enforcement attorney Jennifer Lee suggests that with a divided Congress, the most significant power over the CFPB could be in courts.

Black Knight Financial Services reported net earnings for the second quarter of 2016 of $11.40 million compared with net earnings of $0.30 million in the previous quarter.

Nonbanks serviced $2.155 trillion of agency MSR as of the end of June, a 3.4 percent increase in three months.

"Liquidity provides the grease that allows capital markets to operate freely," said Rodrigo Lopez, chairman-elect of the Mortgage Bankers Association. "We are currently experiencing a lack of liquidity, not a lack of cash."

Fanie Mae made changes to its HomeReady program and Freddie Mac adjusted its Home Possible program.

Applications for refinances decreased slightly last week compared with the week prior, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association, as average interest rates on mortgages increased during the week.

Some 5.0 percent of MGIC’s new insurance written in the second quarter of 2016 was for mortgages with loan-to-value ratios above 95 percent.