Production of loans with a Department of Veterans Affairs guaranty increased 44 percent in the fourth quarter of 2014 compared to the same period a year ago, thanks to strong refinance activity during the holidays, according to an agency spokesman. John Bell, assistant director for loan policy and valuation with the VA Home Loan Guaranty Service, said VA streamline refinance activity rose 18 percent year over year as more veterans took advantage of lower interest rates and lower downpayment in the fourth quarter. He said the VA is still in the process of collating data, declining to give further details. Nonetheless, VA production in the fourth quarter was fueled...

Freddie Mac actually increased its monthly volume by 7.3 percent from December levels, but Fannie Mae’s production fell 15.6 percent.

Analysts who follow the company are keenly aware that the Merrill contract accounts for 29 percent of PHH’s annual production.

Over the past few years there has been some debate about the role Fannie and Freddie play in the multifamily sector with GSE critics pushing for the two to scale back their involvement.

Warehouse lending executives interviewed by IMFnews the past week are reporting healthy usage rates from their nonbank clients...

Ocwen’s massive servicing portfolio (roughly $377 billion in UPB) is worth more than the entire market capitalization rate of the company...

Among originators, Freedom Mortgage ranks 10th. In 2014 it funded $23.63 billion, a 48 percent gain from the year prior.

Compass Point hiked its purchase money estimate to $819 billion from $787 billion.

Ocwen’s share price has almost doubled! How’s that? Well...

Broker-originated purchase mortgages pushed the envelope a little further, with an average credit score of 719.1 and an average DTI of 37.7.