MGIC's stock is trading near a 52-week high of $8.82 a share. The company, like the rest of the sector, is anxiously waiting on new capital-to-risk standards from FHFA.
Official Washington and mortgage-industry observers expect some near-term flux as new Federal Housing Finance Director Mel Watt adjusts to his job and works to make the conservator and regulator of the government-sponsored enterprises his own. The former North Carolina Congressman was sworn in Monday to a five-year term as the FHFAs new director. Watt replaces Acting Director Edward DeMarco, who was appointed as interim agency head following the resignation of FHFA Director James Lockhart in August 2009. The 20-year veteran House Democrat had been expected...
Monthly production of single-family MBS went into a steady, year-long decline at the beginning of 2013. In December, total single-family MBS issuance fell to just $77.1 billion, the lowest monthly production figure since July 2011.
The tapering of the Federal Reserves quantitative easing beginning this month will do little to end the advantages agency MBS have over new jumbo MBS.
Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Johnson, D-SD, and Ranking Member Mike Crapo, R-ID, are drafting their own housing finance reform/GSE bill that likely will be superimposed over the Corker-Warner measure.
One mortgage executive had this to say about the W.J. Bradley case: This is fascinating for the implications of whether the LO or the company owns the customer. As you know, LOs have their little black books (or thumb drives) of all their customers and their information."
Through the first nine months of 2013, an estimated 22 percent of the $1.59 trillion in mortgages originated (including second liens) had non-agency execution.