CitiMortgage performed the worst on the assessment of non-agency HAMP activity for the second quarter of 2014, with the Treasury claiming that the servicer needs to make substantial improvements.

One source said the $3 billion “traded a few weeks back,” but could offer no more color on the transaction.

One question we occasionally hear is this one: If the GOP this fall gains control of the Senate can’t they just push through a GSE reform bill and hope to override a presidential veto, if there is one?

The top contributor to the new Redwood jumbo MBS is First Republic Bank with an 18.2 percent market share.

Does JPM's Jamie Dimon really care about the mortgage business? Or is he in it for the CRA credits?

In an environment with limited jumbo originations, the transaction gives Chimera access to a large amount of seasoned residential mortgages that can be securitized into new investments.

Originating unsecured consumer loans can be a risky venture, but LoanDepot says it wants to drive growth. Of course, it doesn't have any public shareholders to answer to.

Production of conventional mortgages – those eligible for sale to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as well as jumbo loans – grew at a faster rate than the government-insured market during the second quarter of 2014, according to a new Inside Mortgage Finance analysis. Origination of conventional-conforming mortgages increased by 24.4 percent from the first quarter, climbing to an estimated $153.0 billion. While that continued to account for the biggest chunk of new business – 52.1 percent – the biggest proportional increase in new lending came in the jumbo mortgage sector, where new originations jumped 34.1 percent during the second quarter. Production of government-insured mortgages, including FHA, VA and rural housing loans, increased...[Includes two data charts]

The level of warehouse commitments rose 9.6 percent on a sequential basis in the second quarter as originations increased in the primary market, according to figures compiled by Inside MortgageFinance. Overall, commitments edged up to an estimated $30.0 billion across the industry. But compared to the same period a year ago, commitments fell a bloodcurdling 26.8 percent, reflecting the downdraft in the overall origination market over the past 12 months. According to interviews conducted by Inside Mortgage Finance over the past few weeks, usage rates improved...[Includes one data chart]

Can former FHFA director Ed DeMarco affect the debate on the future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac? Can anyone?