The REIT noted that Nicholas “led the team that built Redwood’s residential loan and capital markets platforms.”

TRID errors and investor fears are playing a key role in secondary market snafus...

CFPB Director Richard Cordray has pushed back against claims from industry participants that regulations have unduly constricted lending...

In particular, gain-on-sale margins could be quite healthy.

Mortgage deregulation ahead? GOP presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz, R-TX, has tapped former Texas senator Phil Gramm as an economic advisor...

Originating non-qualified mortgages remains a niche market. According to a recent survey of 200 lenders conducted by Lenders One, 64 percent of survey respondents say they originate non-QMs, though only 18 percent of the total respondents frequently originate the loans. Many of the lenders appear to be offering non-QMs to prime borrowers, with nonprime non-QMs much less common. Impac Mortgage Holdings is one of the most prominent lenders offering non-QMs ...

Originations of non-qualified mortgages remain suppressed and industry participants are divided on prospects for volume going forward. “We thought there would be significant non-QM activity by now,” said Chris Haspel, a director at Promontory Financial Group. He was speaking at the recent ABS Vegas conference produced by Information Management Network and the Structured Finance Industry Group. Haspel was a senior adviser for residential mortgage servicing and ...

CORRECTION: An update to a story in the March 11 issue of Inside Nonconforming Markets with the headline “Banks’ First-Lien Holdings Increase in 2015” is available at http://www.insidemortgagefinance.com. The story and accompanying ranking were revised because the ranking initially showed numbers from the second quarter of 2015 for the fourth quarter of 2014. Five Oaks Investment said it recently determined ... [Includes five briefs]

Endorsements of reverse mortgages for FHA insurance increased nearly 15 percent in 2015 from the previous year, thanks to a strong first half, according to a new analysis by Inside FHA/VA Lending. Home Equity Conversion Mortgage lenders closed 2015 with an estimated $16.0 billion despite a weak second half in which lenders struggled with the delayed effects of a new policy change. Issued in April 2015, the policy calls for a financial assessment of a HECM borrower’s “willingness and ability” to meet his or her financial obligations and to comply with the program’s requirements. In addition, the policy requires lenders to determine whether an allocation of HECM proceeds should be required for payment of property charges. Nonpayment of property taxes and insurance when they are due is the leading cause of borrower default. Lenders felt the impact of the financial-assessment ... [ Charts ]

Despite efforts by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to prevent or mitigate fraud, waste and abuse in FHA loan programs, concerns remain about HUD’s resolve to take the necessary actions going forward to protect the FHA insurance fund. Testifying recently during a House appropriations hearing, HUD Inspector General David Montoya said HUD is often hesitant to take strong enforcement actions against lenders. Montoya blames HUD’s tentativeness in carrying out competing mandates of continuing FHA’s role in restoring the housing market and ensuring availability of mortgage credit, and continuing lender participation in the FHA program. For example, he said FHA has been slow in starting claims reviews. “The OIG has repeatedly noted in past audits and other types of lender underwriting reviews HUD’s financial exposure when paying claims on ...