Maybe the CFPB should hire some loan officers who have actually closed a mortgage...

Late last week, when the Department of Housing and Urban Development pulled the plug on reducing FHA premiums by 25 basis points, it was originally thought that perhaps, in time, the new White House might change its mind. As one Washington insider noted, “There was a feeling that with a little education and time and with the right decision-makers in place, that maybe they would let the cut go through. Now I’m not so sure.” An industry lobbyist – with a deep resume on Capitol Hill ...

A survey gauging lender satisfaction with their loan origination systems (LOS) has shown mixed, if not downright depressing, results, according to the Stratmor Group. Only 28 percent of the more than 250 lenders that responded to the 2016 survey reported they were “very satisfied” with their current LOS and have no plans to replace them. They were commenting on commercial off-the-shelf and proprietary loan origination systems, the scope of their functions and their track record of ...

With the post-election interest-rate rise sticking around, there’s a growing school of thought that residential originators will finally ease underwriting standards in an effort to boost lending volume. But the way things stand today, that could be wishful thinking. The Mortgage Bankers Association told Inside Mortgage Finance this week that its Mortgage Credit Availability Index shows a “gradual” loosening has occurred, but it credits a greater availability of jumbo product for the reading. As MBA Senior Vice President of Research Michael Fratantoni put...

According to the Mayer Brown law firm, “Financial services companies that hoped for immediate regulatory relief when the Trump administration assumed control may have to wait a bit longer…”

To be sure, individual lenders were all over the map in their reported production trends. A handful of top producers reported significant increases from the third quarter, including loanDepot, which was up 13.4 percent…

Jefferies issued two similar rated warehouse-funding securitizations in 2016, totaling $435 million.

The Citadel CEO noted that his shop is receiving many unsolicited resumes from mortgage workers employed at conventional shops, a sign that some firms are about to cut staff.

Total revenues at Clayton, its mortgage and real estate services division, increased by 10 percent to $52.6 million.

Mortgage originations defied expectations in the fourth quarter and held virtually even with the previous period, despite a measurable increase in mortgage interest rates. According to exclusive new Inside Mortgage Finance estimates, some $580.0 billion of first-lien mortgages were originated during the fourth quarter of 2016, a slight 0.9 percent drop from the third quarter. That lifted total production for the year to an estimated $2.065 trillion, up 19.0 percent from the 2015 total. Industry forecasters were...[Includes two data tables]