Residential lenders reported a gradual increase in interest-only originations as 2013 progressed, despite a decline in total production.

Monthly production of single-family MBS went into a steady, year-long decline at the beginning of 2013. In December, total single-family MBS issuance fell to just $77.1 billion, the lowest monthly production figure since July 2011.

If elected, Savitt hopes to serve on the House Financial Services Committee. A past annual president of the National Association of Mortgage Brokers, he formed NAIHP five years ago.

The tapering of the Federal Reserve’s quantitative easing beginning this month will do little to end the advantages agency MBS have over new jumbo MBS.

Mel Watt has quickly endeared himself to lenders, home builders and Realtors by delaying (scrapping?) Ed DeMarco's g-fee hike. As for Mr. DeMarco...

The irony cannot be missed: the mortgage insurance sector is profitable again, but its trade group likely will fold.

New FHFA Director Mel Watt is expected to shakeup some of the senior staff at the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Johnson, D-SD, and Ranking Member Mike Crapo, R-ID, are drafting their own housing finance reform/GSE bill that likely will be superimposed over the Corker-Warner measure.

Western Bancorp said it will lend to borrowers with credit scores as low as 620 and the loans are available to non-owner-occupied properties and first-time homebuyers.

However, a year-over-year look at the data shows a much poorer performance across the board, with overall grievances up 42 percent at Dec. 31, 2013, versus year-end 2012.