HUD Delays Implementation of Short-Sale Participation Requirement. The implementation of the PFS Participation Requirement, which is found in Mortgagee Letter 2013-23, Updated Pre-Foreclosure Sale and Deed-in-Lieu-of-Foreclosure Requirements, has been delayed indefinitely. All other provisions included in the mortgagee letter remain in effect. Previous guidance on short-sale participation requirements also remain in effect until further notice. FHA to Consolidate Lender ID Numbers. The FHA will consolidate the lender identification numbers of those participating in both the FHA Title I and Title II programs, provided ...

Moody's, in a new report, notes that Bank of America outsources roughly 25 percent of its “early stage” collection efforts to vendors.

Large banks and some smaller shops continue to test the servicing sales market this fall, with bulk offerings from Citigroup and Flagstar garnering attention from investors. Industry advisors who track the market say Flagstar recently wrapped up bidding on a $12 billion package of mortgage servicing rights on newly originated loans. “These were pristine quality receivables, stuff that was funded over the past few months,” said one observer who saw the bid package. This summer, Flagstar – in an effort to capture the value of MSRs held on its balance sheet – sold...

The home-equity market has been down so long it doesn’t take much to make it look like it’s looking up. Firming house prices in 2013 may be leading to a revival. The outstanding balance of home-equity loans, including home-equity lines of credit and closed-end second mortgages, continued to decline during the second quarter, dropping another 2.3 percent, according to the Federal Reserve. Since the end of 2007, the home-equity market has shrunk by 35.5 percent. Depository institutions hold...[Includes three data charts]

The U.S. homeownership rate fell to 63.9 percent in 2012, according to figures compiled by the Census Bureau through its “American Community Survey.” In case you’re keeping tabs, it’s the fifth year in a row that the rate has gone south.

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

All five mortgage servicers participating in the settlement will be subject to tougher testing, said Joseph Smith, the settlement’s monitor.

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?

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