The two biggest components of the residential mortgage market conventional loans below the conforming loan limits and government-insured mortgages saw measurable declines in new originations in early 2013, according to a new Inside Mortgage Finance analysis and ranking. The conventional-conforming market nearly all of which is financed through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac securitization fell to an estimated $333.0 billion during the first quarter of 2013. That was down 5.4 percent from the fourth quarter of last year, but the sector still accounted for a hefty 66.6 percent of total originations during the period. The conventional-conforming market share hasnt changed...[Includes two data charts]
Mortgage lenders that specialize in refinance lending have made a killing the past few years, especially call center operations with state-of-the-art technology. But is now the time for these firms to take their chips off the table or ponder a merger with more traditional lenders that have ties to real estate brokers and homebuilders? Paul Reddam, founder and president of CashCall, a top 30 lender, told Inside Mortgage Finance that he would be open to selling the company. We would entertain an offer at any time, said Reddam, who first made a name for himself in mortgages with Ditech Lending early last decade. Reddam noted...
Loan sellers and servicers doing business with Freddie Mac will be charged a so-called low-activity fee for not meeting new quotas for loan deliveries and mortgage servicing beginning next year, according to a policy change announced recently by the government-sponsored enterprise. Freddie Mac said it will assess lenders a fee of $7,500 if they fail to deliver mortgage loans with an aggregate principal balance of more than $5 million or service mortgages for the GSE with an aggregate balance of at least $25 million. Freddie will begin monitoring loan sales and servicing beginning this year and imposing the low-activity fee on slackers on Jan. 1, 2014. There were at least 277 lenders that sold...
The mortgage M&A market is heating up and not just in the lending space. Moreover, a large insurance company is contemplating an entry into the business.
Analysts at Bank of America Merrill Lynch and elsewhere cite evidence of a creeping goal line to move back by 12 months the June 1, 2009, cut-off date for HARP eligibility.
Reps. Shelley Moore Capito, R-WV and Sean Duffy, R-WI, respectively chairman and vice chairman of the subcommittee, had not viewed the CFPBs analysis on QM.