When it comes to new originations, the laggard in the government-insured group has been the FHA program.

Production of conventional mortgages – those eligible for sale to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as well as jumbo loans – grew at a faster rate than the government-insured market during the second quarter of 2014, according to a new Inside Mortgage Finance analysis. Origination of conventional-conforming mortgages increased by 24.4 percent from the first quarter, climbing to an estimated $153.0 billion. While that continued to account for the biggest chunk of new business – 52.1 percent – the biggest proportional increase in new lending came in the jumbo mortgage sector, where new originations jumped 34.1 percent during the second quarter. Production of government-insured mortgages, including FHA, VA and rural housing loans, increased...[Includes two data charts]

Can former FHFA director Ed DeMarco affect the debate on the future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac? Can anyone?

Freddie Mac could save millions of dollars a year in faulty reimbursement payouts to its servicers by investing additional resources in a wider selection of reviews, according to an audit issued last week by the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s Office of Inspector General. In 2013, Freddie reimbursed 460 of its servicers $1.4 billion but identified and denied $126 million in what the IG calls “erroneous” claims. The IG noted that Freddie’s top 10 servicers, relative to total reimbursements, accounted for 87 percent of all reimbursements made by Freddie in 2013. Servicers of Freddie and Fannie Mae loans often maintain...

The Federal Housing Finance Agency last week proposed increasing some of the benchmark levels for Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s affordable housing goals through 2017, while also establishing new housing subgoals for low-income multifamily properties. The proposed rule – which requests public comment – presents three alternatives for determining whether a government-sponsored enterprise has met the congressionally mandated single-family housing goals for 2015-2017. The first option would keep...

The FHFA IG job candidate must be able to withstand "moderate to arduous physical exertion involving walking and standing, use of firearms, and exposure to inclement weather."

It appears that PennyMac Financial Services is in the market to buy MSRs...

The FHA insurance fund received $336 million of the $614 million that JPM agreed to pay…

Roughly 75 percent of the loans will come from Georgia and will be top heavy in retail product.

The American Bankers Association believes GSE loan limits in much of the nation could be reduced.