When survey participants were asked to what extent the QM rule would affect their business, the most frequent responses were 10.1 percent to 20 percent and 90.1 percent to 100 percent, each of which snagged 20 percent shares of the responses.

Adam Levitin, a professor at Georgetown University Law Center, is critical of efforts to align the QRM rule with the QM. “Skin in the game is meant to be a systemic stability regulation, but it has instead been pegged to a consumer protection regulation,” he said.

In addition to its advisor role, Steadfast will purchase a participation in each MSR loan made by Customers Bank.

Roughly 96 percent of mortgage bankers earned money in the third quarter. But that wasn't the case in 4Q, according to Richey May & Co.

Add default servicing to the list of things JPM's Jamie Dimon doesn't like about the mortgage industry.

In a rambling, 6-page letter sent to the GSE’s board, Fairholme Managing Member Bruce Berkowitz claims Fannie Mae’s equity securities are now valued by the market at $36 billion.

In another sign of how serious the CFPB intends to be in pursuing alleged mortgage servicing abuses, the bureau is planning to take an enforcement action against Green Tree Servicing LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Walter Investment Management Corp., for alleged violations of federal consumer financial laws."On Feb. 20, 2014, the Federal Trade Commission and CFPB staff advised Green Tree that it has sought authority to bring an enforcement action and negotiate a resolution related to alleged violations of various federal consumer financial laws," the parent company said last week in earnings-related disclosures with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A small mortgage lender that mostly provides loss mitigation financing to distressed homeowners has strayed into the CFPB's crosshairs and was compelled to pay $83,000 in a civil money penalty to settle charges it illegally split fees in violation of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act. Begun in 2004, 1st Alliance Lending, LLC, is an East Hartford, CT-based lender that purchases troubled mortgages from servicers, and then reaches out to the affected borrowers and offers them new loans with reduced principal amounts under federal mortgage efforts such as the Hope for Homeowners program.

Among the components of the CFPB's ability-to-repay/qualified mortgage rule, the 3 percent cap on fees and points was by far of greatest concern, a recent survey by the National Association of Realtors found. According to the NAR, 60 percent of survey respondents indicated that they were "very concerned" about the 3 percent points-and-fees cap. Also on the list of high concerns were the limitations on the annual percentage rate relative to the average prime offer rate for the general QM standard and the FHA's QM standards.

CFPB Deputy Director Steven Antonakes was harshly critical of the mortgage servicing industry and put servicers on notice they'll likely have a higher bar when it comes to making a good-faith effort than perhaps they were anticipating. Speaking last month at the Mortgage Bankers Association's mortgage servicing conference, Antonakes noted that back in 2006, when he worked as the Massachusetts Commissioner of Banks, he collaborated with the industry, urging servicers to increase the pace of loan modifications and engage in best practices.