FHA claims it is still endorsing loans but only 2 percent of its staffers are on duty. Also, the USDA mortgage program lies dormant.

As the government shutdown continues and many federal workers go without pay checks, there’s a growing concern that these potential borrowers will see their credit scores get dinged.

Wells Fargo is the latest megabank to settle buyback claims with a GSE. Who might be next?

Sources contend that other pending jumbo deals could be reduced in size until the market improves.

Some in the mortgage broker community have suggested that operating as a mini-correspondent could help brokers bypass points-and-fees complications with the qualified mortgage definition under the ATR rule.

A flurry of new SEC filings suggests that Cherry Hill Mortgage Investment Corp. may go public this week, possibly by Friday.

Is refi specialist CashCall still on the auction block? It’s hard to say since the company doesn’t return telephone calls about the matter.

Collateral was much less of an issue in the purchase market, accounting for just 14 percent of conventional denials.

The government accused the San Diego-based Plaza Home of charging black and Hispanic borrowers higher fees than white borrowers on mortgages sourced through the wholesale channel.

FHA will continue to insure mortgages if the government closes but cautions that its commitment authority eventually will run dry. Potential homeowners "will be impacted," it warns.