New production of agency single-family MBS increased by 6.6 percent from July to August as the midyear home-buying season continued to generate a healthy supply of new primary market originations, according to a new Inside MBS & ABS analysis. Mortgage lenders last month pushed a total of $90.95 billion of single-family MBS through the securitization programs of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae. It was the biggest monthly volume since September 2013, but August issuance was boosted by an unusually large volume of seasoned loans that also helped tilt the competitive landscape. Freddie saw...[Includes two data charts]

“The CFPB’s plan will feature only one side of the story, and such one-sided accounts will not advance the CFPB’s mission of better informing and helping consumers,” said FSR chief Tim Pawlenty.

Mortgage lenders securitized $90.95 billion of single-family MBS through the GSEs and Ginnie Mae during August – the biggest monthly volume since September 2013, according to IM&A.

The top contributor to the new Redwood jumbo MBS is First Republic Bank with an 18.2 percent market share.

There are signs of life in mortgage hiring, depending on the job description. Firms looking to increase staff levels include the lending arm of Bayview Asset Management, Citadel Loan Servicing and Carrington Mortgage Services.

The FHA will no longer allow lenders to charge interest payments previously owed beyond the date the FHA mortgage was paid in full – a policy change that could help borrowers save some money. Currently, lenders can charge interest on FHA loans through the end of the month when they are paid off. The new rule is effective for loans paid off on or after Jan. 21, 2015. The policy change responds...

The Federal Housing Finance Agency last week proposed increasing some of the benchmark levels for Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s affordable housing goals through 2017, while also establishing new housing subgoals for low-income multifamily properties. The proposed rule – which requests public comment – presents three alternatives for determining whether a government-sponsored enterprise has met the congressionally mandated single-family housing goals for 2015-2017. The first option would keep...

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau provided fresh guidance on mortgage servicing transfers last month, but lenders say there are still plenty of unresolved issues. In August, the CFPB put out an updated compliance bulletin on mortgage servicing transfers that augments existing guidance from last year to reflect the agency’s complex mortgage servicing regulation, as well as its supervisory and enforcement activities during the last year and a half. Bob Davis, head of mortgage markets, financial management and public policy at the American Bankers Association, said...

Mortgage lenders are worried that a recent proposal by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to expand its consumer complaint database with “narratives” from borrowers will leave companies vulnerable to being smeared by unproven rumors and false accusations. They also fear that a few legitimate complaints will be blown out of proportion. Others are apprehensive about maintaining the privacy of consumer personal data – and about expanding their legal liability. The Financial Services Roundtable has initiated...