Large mortgage vendors are expected to buy smaller firms this year "and fit them to their mold," said one industry observer.

Genpact is the latest mortgage vendor to trim staff. At least 81 were let go in its Irvine location.

Lenders are more cautious in the post-subprime era and they no longer practice “risk layering” on loans to borrowers with less-than-stellar credit histories as they did in the past.

So, will banks stop selling MSRs because of the CFPB? Don’t bet on it. The sales process will just take longer.

One area on the bureau’s short list is compliance under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act.

Matt Monahan is expected to aid HL as it tries to take advantage of a red hot market for servicing sales. A former deal maker at Cohane Rafferty Securities, he will beef-up HL’s mortgage sales force.

Two Harbors said FHLB membership provides up to $1 billion of uncommitted credit for borrowings.

Despite the slowdown, an estimated 630,000 mortgages were guaranteed by VA in FY 2013 – a record. Wells Fargo was the top VA funder with $14.82 billion. USAA was second.

Why are speculators shorting mortgage stocks? Answer: The "servicing trade" might be over, but not everyone believes that.

Mortgage companies with back-office operations overseas don't have to worry about the CFPB examining their off-shore staff, at least not anytime soon.