Investors of all different stripes have been increasing their stakes in several publicly traded mortgage insurance firms of late, betting that this recovering corner of the residential finance industry has more gas in the fuel tank. Among those buying into MI stocks is Paulson & Co., the legendary hedge fund that made $15 billion by shorting publicly traded subprime firms via the ABX Index in the run-up to the housing bust. Paulson & Co. recently increased...

So, will banks stop selling MSRs because of the CFPB? Don’t bet on it. The sales process will just take longer.

Public mention of the Treasury memo was first made earlier this month by former Solicitor General Ted Olson at a GSE shareholders rights advocacy forum in Washington.

The survey, conducted through the IMF website, also found that 35 percent of participants plan to sell “some” of their MSRs, but only as needed.

The firm recently launched Parkside Mortgage Trust, a REIT that will purchase non-agency loans originated by its affiliate.

Matt Monahan is expected to aid HL as it tries to take advantage of a red hot market for servicing sales. A former deal maker at Cohane Rafferty Securities, he will beef-up HL’s mortgage sales force.

Two Harbors said FHLB membership provides up to $1 billion of uncommitted credit for borrowings.

IMA is out with a new $1.294 billion package of bulk Ginnie Mae MSRs, plus a monthly “flow” deal that could net a buyer an additional $900 million in Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac and Ginnie rights.

Issuance of agency and non-agency commercial MBS increased 13.5 percent in 2013, according to a new analysis by Inside MBS & ABS, although production dropped sharply in the fourth quarter. Industry participants expect that volume will continue to grow as investor demand for commercial MBS remains strong despite some loosening of underwriting standards. Ken Cheng, a managing director at Morningstar Credit Ratings, said...[Includes one data chart]

Industry participants expect that volume will continue to grow as investor demand for commercial MBS remains strong despite some loosening of underwriting standards.