Significant investments in mortgage servicing rights appear to have paid off for Two Harbors Investment, a real estate investment trust. PennyMac Mortgage Investment Trust is also turning profits due to MSRs, servicing and a correspondent operation. Two Harbors this week reported net income of $239.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2013, rebounding from a net loss of $192.7 million in the previous quarter, both based on generally accepted accounting principles. During the fourth quarter, Two Harbors ...

Two pages of data showing the top 30 sellers of agency mortgages in 2013 with a break-out for each lender listing average credit scores, debt-to-income ratios, loan-to-value ratios, loan size, purchase-mortgage share and refinance share. All characteristics are shown for the origination channel (retail, correspondent and broker) at each lender.

January 2014 marked the fourth month in a row where combined agency securitization included more purchase-money mortgages than refinances, according to Inside MBS & ABS.

Some 18 lenders contributed to the security, all of which were disclosed – somewhat uncommon for jumbo MBS.

Also, the CFPB is considering requiring more underwriting and pricing information, such as the interest rate, total origination charges, and discount points.

New production of single-family agency MBS in January 2014 fell to its lowest monthly volume in five years, according to a new market analysis and ranking by Inside MBS & ABS. Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae generated a total of $67.82 billion in single-family MBS last month, a 10.4 percent drop from December 2013. It was the weakest monthly issuance since January 2009, when $64.39 billion of new agency MBS were produced as world financial markets tried to recover from collapse. Market conditions – if you don’t consider the weather outside – were...[Includes one data chart]

According to Inside Mortgage Finance, one thing is clear: the commercial banking industry is continuing to shed MSRs, at least in aggregate.

Despite the findings of the Inspector General's office regarding appraisal reviews, the GSEs’ recent books of business are considered to be of pristine quality.

Mortgage executives are praying that even though eminent domain plans have been talked about and brought to a vote in a handful of cities, that it never gets used.

Is Caliber's parent toying with an IPO for the lender? After all, hedge funds like to “build and flip,” not build and hold forever…