It was also the lowest three-month volume since the fourth quarter of 2008, not long after dramatically higher “emergency” loan limits were put in place by the agencies.

Correspondent sellers fret that some of the largest players might shut the door on them for a different reason: they can’t deliver enough volume in an origination-challenged market.

It’s far too early to draw definitive conclusions about the success of the QM rule and its overall effect upon the market.

The “legacy” bulk market for MSRs has been spooked, to some degree, by regulatory scrutiny, though offerings of newly originated product have been plentiful.

The mortgage industry has raised concerns about the HAWK initiative because it carries the specter of new fees.

“I’m tired of having the AMC acting as my pimp," said one appraiser. "The current situation is ruining the appraisal profession and turning appraisers into whores for the AMCs."

The amendment would prohibit the GSEs from channeling cash to the NHTF, which was established under the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008.

But why so long? ABA's Rod Alba continued: “Well, not all the rules are done yet."

“This appears to be very good news and is a credit to our collective work with the Coalition for Sensible Housing Policy,” the National Association of Realtors told its members.

The buyer originates mortgages in roughly six western states and is looking to expand into the East Coast to help fill its pipeline.