A group called The 60 Plus Association has released TV and radio ads in seven states targeting Senate Banking Committee Members who are sponsoring GSE reform legislation. The group claims the bills “allow the government to take over the mortgage industry in an action 'disturbingly similar' to Obamacare.”

Although some jumbo market participants have called for a reduction to GSE loan limits, most of the mortgage industry – and members of Congress – prefer the current levels.

Inside FHFA Lending also found another interesting trend: The top 50 HECM lenders are dominated by nonbanks, some of which are relatively new to the space.

As for the new GSE bill from Rep. Maxine Waters, D-CA, the research firm notes that the legislation will not even be considered in the Republican controlled House.

To date, the use of eminent domain to restructure residential loans has garnered a ton of headlines in the financial press, but has posted little in the way of success.

No purchase price on the sale of Allonhill assets to Stewart was ever disclosed. According to the bankruptcy filing, the sale price cannot be revealed for at least 12 months after the sale and will require approvals from both parties.

Whatever happened to the sale of Cole Taylor Mortgage, which has been in the works for nine months or so? Good question. When we asked one source close to the deal, his response was this: “Think of the Energizer Bunny but with fairly old batteries.

Lowering Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loan limits is one of the easiest levers the federal government could pull to increase non-agency participation in the mortgage market but most market participants favor keeping them at their current levels. In December, the Federal Housing Finance Agency announced that it was considering reducing the loan “purchase limits” for the government-sponsored enterprises. Under the plan, the GSEs could not purchase loans exceeding ...

In the end, it's all about yield, which is why investors are going after "esoteric" ABS. Will non-prime MBS ever stage a comeback, even a mini-comeback?

The private equity plaintiffs allege that the Treasury’s change in the dividend structure of its preferred stock leaves the GSEs with no funds to pay anything to junior shareholders.