There was a modest 1.8 percent increase in refinance business, and refi loans accounted for over half (52.1 percent) of GSE business in the first quarter – the first time refi activity exceeded purchase lending since early last year.

The Five Oaks stock – which trades for roughly $5.65 a share – carries a hefty yield of 12.86 percent.

White House advisor Michael Stegman: It's not easy building a government corporation...

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac saw a slight decline in their single-family mortgage business during the first three months of 2016 – in fact, it was the slowest quarter in nearly two years – according to a new analysis and ranking by Inside Mortgage Finance. The two government-sponsored enterprises issued $172.97 billion of single-family mortgage-backed securities during the first quarter of this year, a 3.4 percent decline from the fourth quarter of 2015. It was the slowest three-month volume since the second quarter of 2014, and the fourth-lowest output since the GSEs were put in conservatorship back in 2008. The slowdown stemmed...[Includes three data tables]

Although interest rates have been trending downward for much of the year, it hasn’t stopped mortgage firms from selling one of their most prized assets: mortgage servicing rights. According to a new tally from Inside Mortgage Finance, almost $27 billion in MSR auctions have been announced since March 1, with some bulk deals sized as high as $6.2 billion dollars. At least 16 offerings have been announced...

This so-called agency “patch” was set up to last for seven years, or until 2021...

CSS, a joint venture of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, is hiring at its main site in Bethesda, MD, as well as its office in Pasadena, CA.

The link between loan sales and mortgage-banking income can be squishy…

Redwood Trust, another REIT, hasn’t issued a jumbo MBS since November...

The Association of Mortgage Investors wrote to the CFPB last week for guidance on the integrated disclosure rule known as TRID, warning that the marketplace woes stemming from the new rule may extend to the conforming mortgage loan market. “The recent evidence is that the rule, while extremely well-intentioned, has resulted in a climate of legal uncertainty and is chilling private investment in the U.S. mortgage market,” said Chris Katopis, executive director of the AMI. Further, “We urge the bureau to open a new public comment period to address the concerns of mortgage investors,” he added. “We seek formal written guidance clarifying the liability for a violation of each individual TRID requirement, as well as the scope and applicability of ...