Last year’s steady decline in GSE refinance activity continued into 2014 and contributed to an overall dip in the volume of single-family mortgages securitized by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, according to a new Inside The GSEs analysis. Fannie and Freddie issued $47.0 billion in single-family mortgage-backed securities in January, a 15.8 percent decline from December 2013 and a steeper 61.9 percent decrease from the same period a year ago.

The SEC was poised to issue a final rule with loan-level disclosure requirements for non-agency MBS earlier this month. The SFIG said it expects the SEC will issue a final rule on the so-called Regulation AB2 “in the near future.”

Private mortgage insurers provided primary coverage on $41.59 billion of mortgages originated during the fourth quarter of 2013, according to a new Inside Mortgage Finance ranking and analysis. While that was down 29.6 percent from the third quarter, it also represented the deepest private MI penetration of new originations in five years. Private MI coverage – including existing insurance transferred to new loans originated under the Home Affordable Refinance Program – accounted for 13.6 percent of new mortgages produced in the fourth quarter. That was the highest private MI share of new originations since the first quarter of 2008, when it was 14.7 percent. HARP continued...[Includes three data charts]

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.