An increasing number of financial institutions with a vested interest in mortgage servicing rights are showing a renewed interest in hedging against declining interest rates – something you might think they would already be doing. “You’d be surprised at who’s not hedging,” said Austin Tilghman, senior vice president of United Capital Markets, Denver. “Some mid-sized nonbanks just don’t get it.” Tilghman knows quite a bit about firms – banks included – that don’t ...

The funding models used by prominent nonbank servicers subject the firms to significant risks, according to Moody’s Investors Service, which predicted that the companies’ profitability will improve only marginally in 2016. The Moody’s analysis focused on Nationstar Mortgage, Ocwen Financial and Walter Investment Management. “All three nonbank servicers’ reliance on confidence-sensitive, short-term funding heightens their liquidity and refinancing risk,” said Warren Kornfeld ...

Many borrowers who apply for a mortgage with a partner miss out on lower interest rates due to lenders’ standards regarding credit scores, according to research by economists at the Federal Reserve. Applying for a mortgage solo can lead to substantial cost savings, though determining whether to take that option can be complicated. Geng Li, Weifeng Wu, and Vincent Yao detailed their findings in a FEDS Notes article published by the Fed. The analysis was based on ...

Most borrowers are having a positive experience with the new loan estimate and closing disclosure forms now in use under the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s integrated disclosure rule known as TRID, according to a new survey from TD Bank. The rule integrates the consumer disclosures required under both the Truth in Lending Act and the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act. Of those responding to the survey, 40 percent reported having had an “excellent” experience ...

Mortgage financing as it exists today might have to go through significant changes if the impact of climate change worsens, particularly in areas most exposed to the risk, according to new research from Freddie Mac. While flood insurance makes it possible for borrowers to obtain home loans in areas of high flood risk, other fallout from climate change – rising sea levels, changing weather patterns, increasing temperatures – may not be insurable. “As a result, some important features ...

Quicken Loans, for example, reported a 4.9 percent increase in total originations compared to 4Q15. An estimated 81.0 percent of the nonbank’s production in 2015 was refinance loans…

The publicly traded servicer/originator took in $330.7 million in revenue, a 35.2 percent decline from 1Q15. Its origination revenue was a meager $23.2 million…

Thanks to rising loan applications and a stronger-than-anticipated start to the second quarter, merger and acquisition activity in the mortgage industry is at muted levels these days, according to investment banking officials. In other words, lenders will continue to “make hay while the sun shines,” believing that current profit margins are just too good right now to consider selling out. It was originally thought...

The New York State Supreme Court recently reversed a ruling in a foreclosure case, providing a favorable decision for lenders and servicers. New York Community Bank v. Daphne McClendon involved a foreclosure that was initiated in 2012. The mortgage in question was originated in 2008 by AmTrust Bank for $544,000. The note accompanying the mortgage was signed by electronic signature. The borrower challenged...

Consumers said they received conflicting and confusing foreclosure notifications during the loss mitigation review process...