Six weeks into the new year and it appears that merger-and-acquisition activity in the mortgage industry is finally picking up – big time. Over the past 10 days, several – mostly “asset” related – deals have come to light, with the action being driven by private-equity money that’s backing nonbank lenders. Wall Street giant The Blackstone Group, which has a PE division, is involved as well. So far, the only depository that appears to be playing in the M&A surge is...

HUD officials said the agency has been focused on establishing an infrastructure to improve its cost estimating practices.

The "Lost Sales Analysis" product – licensed from its developer, Equifax – helps originators determine if applicants closed a mortgage with a competitor.

On the extreme end, 30 percent expressed dissatisfaction with their current LOS but did not say whether they were ready to toss it overboard…

The CFPB Office of Inspector General recently initiated an evaluation of the bureau’s use of vendors to support its analysis of fair lending compliance, the OIG indicated in its latest work plan. The OIG begins by noting, among other responsibilities, the CFPB is charged with providing oversight and enforcement of federal laws intended to ensure the fair, equitable and nondiscriminatory access to credit. But what may surprise many in the industry is to learn that the agency relies on external vendors to help fulfill this responsibility. “Our objective is to assess whether the CFPB effectively mitigates the risk associated with the use of vendors to support fair lending analysis, particularly with respect to potential conflicts of interest,” said the OIG ...

The mortgage division will employ loan advisors, providing them with incentives that reward service, not just sales...

A survey gauging lender satisfaction with their loan origination systems (LOS) has shown mixed, if not downright depressing, results, according to the Stratmor Group. Only 28 percent of the more than 250 lenders that responded to the 2016 survey reported they were “very satisfied” with their current LOS and have no plans to replace them. They were commenting on commercial off-the-shelf and proprietary loan origination systems, the scope of their functions and their track record of ...

Wesley Winter, a senior modeler at Black Knight, said a traditional credit score may not be the best predictor of mortgage default.

Some M&A advisors believe 2017 could be a banner year for mortgage company sales. Then again, that’s what they predicted early last year...

The New York Department of Financial Services made some concessions to industry participants by revising proposed cybersecurity standards. Some mortgage-industry officials were happy with the revisions while reiterating concerns about the proposed standards. The NYDFS first proposed cybersecurity standards in September. The proposal was the first of its kind from a state regulator and more prescriptive than guidance from the Federal Financial Institutions Examination ...