A new trade group is showing true love for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Also, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is giving lenders some breathing room on the Qualified Mortgage/Ability-to-Repay rule.

MBA believes the imposition of compensatory fees has morphed into a risk-sharing mechanism that shifts the costs of the prolonged foreclosure process from the GSEs onto mortgage servicers.

Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-ND, a co-sponsor of the Johnson-Crapo bill, also said the measure is moving forward. “This train is leaving the station,” she said. But whether it makes it to the floor of the Senate is another matter.

As far as pricing goes, if g-fees are raised Fannie and Freddie could earn more money – cash that ultimately would wind up at the Treasury Department, which sweeps most of their earnings each quarter.

Meanwhile, rumors abound that Fannie and Freddie may once again be looking at the possibility of selling some of its nonperforming mortgages…

Lobbyists tracking the bill now believe that a “negotiated” final measure will not be ready for a full committee vote until possibly mid-May.

Originally, the technology vendor blamed the shutdown on a cyber-attack by hackers, but then a few weeks later ruled out that explanation.

Reverse mortgages guaranteed by the government are due and payable upon the death of the homeowner, the sale of the home, and other conditions, including the failure to reside in the property or pay the taxes and insurance.

Early stage implementation of the CFPB’s ability to repay rulemaking shows no major changes to origination strategies on the part of mortgage lenders, according to a recent report from Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services. “Overall, the majority of our ranked originators are not making any major changes to their origination strategies as a result of the ATR/QM regulations,” S&P said. “Most originators will continue to focus their production efforts on their core origination products and expect their 2014 production mixes to be similar to those in 2013.” Additionally, lenders do not anticipate a significant change to the composition of their primary investors. In connection with Standard & Poor’s ongoing surveillance of its Mortgage Originator Review rankings, the ratings service requested...

The CFPB and the Federal Housing Finance Agency apparently are mailing $5 bills as “a small token of appreciation” to new homeowners to encourage them to participate in a survey associated with the agencies’ joint project to develop a national mortgage database, Inside the CFPB has learned. “I am writing to ask for your help with an important national survey of consumers about their mortgage loan experiences,” says a joint sample letter prepared with CFPB letterhead, with room for a signature for a representative from both agencies. “I understand that in the last 12 months you obtained a mortgage for your home (or a residence that is rented or otherwise occupied by others). Your recent experience is very important to...