Will a private conventional MBS market ever happen? If GSE g-fees keep rising, yes.

It appears that 80-10-10 loan structures are making a comeback in the market, helping homeowners avoid paying private mortgage insurance.

The American Securitization Forum, a high profile trade group that focuses on MBS issues, is in turmoil with several of its board members quitting.

Citadel Servicing of California has raised $200 million from private investors to originate new residential subprime loans, Inside Mortgage Finance has learned.

Citadel Servicing has raised $200 million in capital to originate residential subprime mortgages. Does this mean subprime lending is "back"? Answer: yes and no.

Credit Suisse came to market with its first jumbo MBS deal of the year with Quicken Loans dominating the collateral.

Conventional conforming mortgage originations – mostly financed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac – accounted for a record 66.8 percent of total single-family lending last year, according to a new market analysis and ranking by Inside Mortgage Finance. Mortgage lenders originated a whopping $1.273 trillion in conventional conforming mortgages in 2012, the highest level since the all-time record of $2.460 trillion was set back in 2003. Volume in the sector started strong and kept building throughout the year, including a 19.1 percent jump from the third to the fourth quarter. For the year, conventional conforming originations were...[Includes two data charts]

Credit Suisse this week obtained ratings on its first non-agency jumbo MBS of 2013 in a deal that includes sunsets for certain representation and warranties as well as a contribution from Two Harbors Investment, which has been working for years to issue non-agency MBS on its own. The $425.67 million CSMC Trust 2013-TH1 received AAA ratings from Fitch, DBRS and Standard & Poor’s. The top-rated tranche had a credit enhancement of 7.05 percent, well above the 5.85 percent level on Credit Suisse’s previous deals but in line with recent Redwood transactions. DBRS said...

Sellers of jumbo whole loans into the secondary market are getting prices of up to 103 – and in some cases more – which on paper might throw a monkey wrench into the economics of trying to create a new MBS, but it’s not turning out that way. According to loan traders and industry consultants, MBS spreads to Treasuries have tightened over the past several weeks, making the economics of issuing a security better, even though the price for the underlying product might look a bit rich for potential issuers. “The cost of funds are going down,” said one trader. According to Craig Cole, a principal in Emerald Consulting LLC, the price paid...

Wells Fargo, the nation's largest home funder, is continuing to review its mortgage joint ventures.