No purchase price on the sale of Allonhill assets to Stewart was ever disclosed. According to the bankruptcy filing, the sale price cannot be revealed for at least 12 months after the sale and will require approvals from both parties.

Whatever happened to the sale of Cole Taylor Mortgage, which has been in the works for nine months or so? Good question. When we asked one source close to the deal, his response was this: “Think of the Energizer Bunny but with fairly old batteries.

As for the new GSE bill from Rep. Maxine Waters, D-CA, the research firm notes that the legislation will not even be considered in the Republican controlled House.

To date, the use of eminent domain to restructure residential loans has garnered a ton of headlines in the financial press, but has posted little in the way of success.

Although some jumbo market participants have called for a reduction to GSE loan limits, most of the mortgage industry – and members of Congress – prefer the current levels.

Inside FHFA Lending also found another interesting trend: The top 50 HECM lenders are dominated by nonbanks, some of which are relatively new to the space.

Some banks and thrifts have been able to originate enough new mortgages to replace runoff from their portfolios, but the industry’s retained holdings of first-lien mortgages continued to decline in the fourth quarter of 2013, according to a new ranking and analysis by Inside Nonconforming Markets. Banks and thrifts held a total of $1.74 trillion in first-lien mortgages as of the end of 2013, down only 3.0 percent compared with the end of 2012 ... [Includes one data chart]

Lowering Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loan limits is one of the easiest levers the federal government could pull to increase non-agency participation in the mortgage market but most market participants favor keeping them at their current levels. In December, the Federal Housing Finance Agency announced that it was considering reducing the loan “purchase limits” for the government-sponsored enterprises. Under the plan, the GSEs could not purchase loans exceeding ...

Old Republic Cancels Recapitalization Plan for its Mortgage Guaranty Subsidiaries. Old Republic International Corp. has withdrawn plans to secure capital market funding for its beleaguered consumer credit indemnity and mortgage guaranty subsidiaries for lack of investor interest. Both business segments are housed within the Republic Financial Indemnity Group and have been in a run-off mode since 2008 and 2011, respectively. ORI Chairman/CEO Al Zucaro said holding company funds would be used to shore up the regulatory capital of the mortgage guaranty subsidiaries. The completion of the recapitalization plan hinged on regulatory approvals in North Carolina, Florida and Vermont, as well as from the government-sponsored enterprises and the Federal Housing Finance Agency. ORI said that with all the complications, it could not be certain of getting the necessary approvals. A primary investor concern is that new capital would be used to pay for RMIC’s legacy problems, and investors want their money to ...

A mortgagee that no longer wishes to participate in FHA programs must submit a letter requesting voluntary withdrawal of its FHA approval, signed by a senior executive of the company, according to guidance published in the March 2014 issue of FHA’s Lender Insight. Lenders may not simply let their FHA approval expire by failing to complete FHA’s required annual recertification process, the guidance warned. “Failing to recertify will result in a referral to the Mortgagee Review Board for administrative action,” it said. The board’s withdrawal of a lender’s FHA approval could have an adverse impact on the lender should it reapply for FHA approval in the future. A lender requesting voluntary withdrawal of FHA approval is subject to a review before the agency signs off on the request. The request would be denied if the lender has an MRB administrative action pending against it or if it is behind on its mortgage insurance premium payments. A lender whose FHA approval has been withdrawn may ...