An agreement by a Chinese international financial holding group to acquire Genworth Financial for approximately $2.7 billion, or $5.43 per share, would give China a foothold in the U.S. mortgage insurance market. Announced on Oct. 23 by Genworth, the sale follows the planned sale of market leader United Guaranty to Arch Capital Group, a global provider of mortgage insurance and reinsurance based in Bermuda. The entire Genworth family of companies, including the MI division, is...

Recapitalizing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is a good idea, according to the Congressional Budget Office, which said that it wouldn’t significantly change how the government-sponsored enterprises operate today, but it would help stabilize the mortgage market and the federal budget. In response to several legislative proposals calling for the GSEs to build capital, the CBO recently published a report studying the effects of an “illustrative policy option.” Fannie and Freddie capital will...

Wedbush's Henry Coffey notes that PHH is “facing a number of challenges,” including a struggle to restore profitability…

“Agency MBS prepayment speeds slowed in September, but they still hover near the multi-year highs reached last month,” according to a report from Keefe, Bruyette & Woods.

With rates creeping up, more MSR packages should hit the auction block…

Some loan brokers we spoke with were skeptical about the RE/MAX concept...

Since Genworth is a counter-party to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the GSEs must approve the change of control as well.

CBO’s comments were contained in a report that takes a “what if” approach to allowing Fannie and Freddie to retain as much as $5 billion of capital a year for 10 years...

Freddie said the revised suite is “designed to take costs out of the loan origination process.”

For Mel Watt, he's at the halfway point...