The retail share of new residential originations declined slightly, to 60 percent, in the fourth quarter after climbing steadily during the first nine months of the year.

For Ginnie Mae mortgage-backed securities issued in January 2013, the average reported credit score was 701 and the average DTI ratio was 38.0. By December, the average FHA credit score was down to 680, while the average DTI ratio was up to 40.3.

Residential funders that relied heavily on refis, such as CashCall, have either shuttered operations or scaled back their significantly.

The SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance this week suggested a change to proposed Reg AB2 disclosure requirements in an effort to protect the privacy of borrowers whose loans are included in MBS and ABS.

Of course, Ocwen is hardly alone when it comes to having a large overseas mortgage workforce. Wells Fargo and Nationstar, we’re told, also have decent sized back office operations in India…

In the fourth quarter of 2013, Redwood issued one jumbo MBS totaling $325 million and completed whole loan sales of $648 million. Officials at the real estate investment trust said Redwood plans to issue a jumbo MBS in March or April.

Then again, acquirers also may find that companies that need to sell might have a hard time admitting as much. “I’m seeing a ton of interest on the buy-side these days,” said Larry Charbonneau, a principal in Charbonneau & Associates.

Under the terms of the credit facility, PennyMac can sell RBS “newly originated mortgage loans that it purchases from correspondent lenders.”

The Consumer Financial Freedom and Washington Accountability Act, sponsored by House Financial Services Committee member Rep. Sean Duffy, R-WI, would, among other things, replace the single CFPB director with a five-member commission appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.

So, mortgage firms are reducing “overlays” and expanding credit to borrowers in need. Right? Not necessarily.