Freddie Mac late last week revealed that it sold a $659 million package of what it calls “deeply” delinquent loans from its investment portfolio – a first for the government-sponsored enterprise. Co-advisers on the competitive bid auction include Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Credit Suisse Securities. Freddie noted that the sale was conducted at the end of July “and executed indirectly through Bank of America affiliates.” However, the GSE declined to identify the buyer or provide any pricing information. “The transaction was...

Mortgage trustees are still awaiting state court approval of a $4.5 billion settlement with JPMorgan Chase in relation to faulty residential MBS issued by the bank and the now-defunct Bear Stearns between 2005 and 2008. If approved by the New York State Supreme Court, the agreement would resolve representation and warranty claims as well as servicing claims related to loans in 330 mortgage securitization trusts, as well as claims over document delivery. In addition, the bank agreed to change its servicing procedures with respect to mortgage loans in the trusts. The proposed settlement does not resolve...

Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), a global network of exchanges and clearing houses and a top energy trader, is reportedly seeking to gain a foothold in the mortgage market via the Mortgage Electronic Registration System (MERS). ICE is negotiating a partnership agreement with MERSCorp Holdings, parent company of MERS, as part of its plan to add mortgages to its primary derivatives business, Bloomberg reported recently. Both ICE and MERS declined to comment on the story. According to the report, the Atlanta-based ICE has been studying...

Nonbank mortgage companies reported mixed results in the second quarter of 2014, according to a new analysis by Inside Mortgage Trends. A group of seven publicly traded nonbank lenders more than doubled their income compared with the first quarter, mostly because of an outsized gain at Nationstar Mortgage and lower losses at PHH Mortgage. Midway through the year, the group’s mortgage banking income was down 64.7 percent from ... [Includes one data chart]

Lender profit margins appear set to stop declining, according to a new survey by Fannie Mae of senior executives at 181 institutions. Industry participants suggest that increased demand from borrowers along with operational efficiencies will help steady profit margins. Doug Duncan, senior vice president and chief economist at Fannie, said the significant decline in volume in recent quarters put pressure on profit margins. “That would be expected to ease somewhat ...

The first-time homebuyer share of purchase-money mortgages differs a great deal across the states, and house price growth may have something to do with it, according to a new study by the Federal Housing Finance Agency. FHFA researchers looked at first-time buyer activity from 1996 to 2013 and how it is affected by nationwide house-price trends. They found a symbiotic relationship that may or may not be beneficial to first-time homebuyers, depending on ...

An overwhelming majority of prospective homebuyers believe purchasing a home is a good investment decision, but many of them “haven’t done the math” and feel overwhelmed by the amount of information that have to contend with, according to a new Discover Home Loans/Versta Research poll. Five years after the Great Recession, most participants generally had positive views and expectations about their upcoming participation in the housing and mortgage markets ...

A ranking of the top 50 lenders in terms of third-party originations, based on agency mortgage-backed securities issued in the first half of 2014. Includes break-outs by lender for Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac, Ginnie Mae, correspondent and broker.

In keeping with its strategy to reduce its holdings of less-liquid assets, Freddie Mac announced last week the GSE’s first sale of what it calls “deeply” delinquent loans. It remains to be seen if the sale of the $659 million package of distressed single-family mortgages from its portfolio is a one-off or the first of more to come. Asked whether more non-performing loan auctions might be ahead, a company spokesman declined to comment.

A federal judge in Manhattan last week ordered Bank of America to pay a $1.27 billion penalty for losses suffered by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from Countrywide Financial’s “Hustle” program for pumping dubious Alt A loans to the GSEs. The bank also is reportedly nearing a settlement with the Justice Department over other charges. Last October, the DOJ and the Securities and Exchange Commission successfully proved in court that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac lost some $850 million from thousands of loans acquired through Countrywide’s “high-speed swim lane” program – known as HSSL or “Hustle.”