Declining loan production could lead to rampant consolidation among mortgage vendors this year, particularly technology firms, according to interviews conducted by Inside Mortgage Trends. “Revenues at some of these firms are going to take a nosedive over the next year or so,” said Anthony Garritano, founder of the Progress in Lending Association, an industry think-tank that focuses on the tech sector. “The drop in production volume in the fourth quarter was more than most anticipated ...

Proprietary loan modifications, the dominant form of loss mitigation, have declined significantly in the past year, while activity in the Home Affordable Modification Program has remained relatively level, according to the Hope Now alliance. Some 137,879 loan mods were completed in the fourth quarter of 2013, down 24.0 percent from the previous quarter and a 44.0 percent decline from the fourth quarter of 2012. Eric Selk, executive director of Hope Now, said the decline in mods “closely tracks” with ...

State regulators are trying to take the National Mortgage Licensing System mortgage call report to the next level in terms of analytical capability. If the vendor side of the industry has its way, this will be accomplished in a manner that relies on the latest in technology to make the compliance process easier for lenders and report users. As the annual NMLS conference in Miami was winding down late this week, the Conference of State Bank Supervisors was, as of press time, set to convene a panel of ...

Nearly half of all mortgage borrowers did not refinance their home loan during the period between 2009 and 2012, when mortgage interest rates declined steadily, according to a Fannie Mae survey. The government-sponsored enterprise found that 40 percent to 50 percent of borrowers, for some reason, did not take advantage of low interest rates to reduce their monthly mortgage payments through refinancing. To try to get at why borrowers don’t refinance when the opportunity seems ripe, Fannie economist ...

Radian and United Guaranty were co-champs of the MI league last year. Radian reported the largest new insurance written figure, $55.04 billion.

Large mortgage vendors are expected to buy smaller firms this year "and fit them to their mold," said one industry observer.

Genpact is the latest mortgage vendor to trim staff. At least 81 were let go in its Irvine location.

Firms that evaluate mortgage servicing rights and facilitate their sales had a record year in 2013 in transaction volume, according to interviews conducted by Inside Mortgage Finance. And although many are expecting a strong year in 2014, the deal volume likely will subside. Still, Interactive Mortgage Advisors, MountainView Servicing Group and Phoenix Capital – among others MSR brokers – are making hay while the sun shines. Combined, the three sold or bought...

The Federal Housing Finance Agency’s lax attention to Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s handling of aged repurchase demands has resulted in uncollected late fees charged to lenders, according to a new audit by the agency’s Inspector General. The FHFA issued a “contract harmonization directive” in January 2012 calling for the two government-sponsored enterprises to develop “consistent timelines and collection standards for fees and penalties and additional types of penalties and remedies.” During contract harmonization discussions, the report noted...

Two nonbanks among the top five servicers now control almost 9 percent of the residential receivables market. Should regulators be worried? Should the MBA?