Can a technology that helped bring the cryptocurrency Bitcoin into being enhance the securitization markets? The Structured Finance Industry Group and the Chamber of Digital Commerce think so and have partnered to help make it happen. According to Perianne Boring, founder and president of the CDC, which bills itself as the world’s largest trade association representing the blockchain industry, “The securitization process is an ideal candidate for the efficiencies of distributed ledger technology. “Blockchain platforms create...

The threat of large, unpredictable settlements are looming over several European banks that have not yet resolved their remaining MBS lawsuits, putting pressure on their earnings and capital, according to a new Fitch Ratings report. Uncertainty about the scale of penalties from legacy MBS lawsuits will compel the affected banks to continue being cautious about managing and retaining capital, and distributing dividends. Though most of the banks have strengthened their capital positions considerably since the financial crisis, there would be no rest for them until the last settlement dime has been paid, the report indicated. Bank settlements with U.S. agencies relating to fraud investigations of their roles in the financial crisis, specifically their legacy MBS business, have...

Go figure: An "app" company called Snap that may never make a nickel is now worth more than Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac...

The FHA is nearing full implementation of a new loan review system (LRS) for managing FHA’s Title II single-family quality-control processes. No specific implementation date has been set but it could be sometime in the second quarter, the agency said. The LRS builds on FHA’s efforts to align the documentation of loan-review results. In addition, it incorporates the Single-Family Housing Loan Quality Assessment Methodology or defect taxonomy.The FHA said the new system would not be used to manage any aspect of the agency’s standard loan origination or endorsement processes. Rather, it would be used to review of test cases submitted by lenders seeking unconditional direct-endorsement authority. It would be used as well for various post-endorsement reviews of forward single-family loans. After the ...

Wells Fargo once again dominated the purchase business with $135.5 billion funded in 2016, more than double its closest competitor, JPMorgan Chase…

More defects and fraudulent information were found in mortgage applications in December and January, according to the First American Loan Application Defect Index. Analysts blame the increase on the dwindling share of less risky refinance transactions. January numbers show that the frequency of defects, fraudulence and misrepresentation in the information submitted in mortgage loan applications increased 5.8 percent in January compared with December. “This month, the Loan Application Defect Index continued...

Altisource Residential said its goal is to build a large portfolio of SFRs “targeted to operate at a best-in-class yield.”

The number of mortgage-related examinations by the CFPB declined in most areas with one glaring exception: nonbank residential originators…

As one executive put it: “January was slow, February was lower, and I can’t tell how March will be yet.”

Annaly padded its lead as the top REIT MBS investor, thanks, in part, to its acquisition of Hatteras Financial in the third quarter of 2016…