But legislators denied federal funding for a new pilot program – Homeowners Armed with Knowledge – that would broaden use of housing counseling tied to FHA originations and servicing.

The privately held nonbank has carefully ratcheted up the maximum from $750,000 to $1 million and now $1.5 million.

“I don’t think it gets sold for the time being,” said one analyst speaking under the condition his name not be used. “It needs lots of restructuring yet.”

Some 69.9 percent of homes purchased in April were completed with non-cash financing, up from a 69.7 percent share the previous month.

Retail lending, which includes traditional loan-origination offices and consumer-direct operations, was down 60.0 percent from the first quarter of last year, slightly worse than the 58.0 percent downturn in the overall market.

It appears that CashCall is getting closer to finalizing a deal to sell some of its production assets to the publicly traded Stonegate Mortgage.

The Nationstar spokesman noted that Rodgers’ production duties were assumed by Chad Patton, a senior executive for business development at the nonbank lender.

Seven lenders reported net losses during the first three months of 2014, but 12 of the firms showed stronger results than they had in the fourth quarter of 2013.

Taken as a barometer of industry activity, Wells Fargo's prediction is hardly good news for a business that is facing an ugly 40 percent decline in fundings this year.

Apparently, CitiMortgage wants to grow its presence in the origination market, including the correspondent channel where it has a slight pulse.