The effort to develop a common mortgage-backed security platform has a budget estimated at up to $300 million, funded by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but the GSEs’ conservator is saying little about its progress. In the nearly six months since the FHFA filed articles of incorporation for the entity creating the common securitization platform, the agency remains silent on key issues related to the project, including the size of its operating budget.

In the last couple of years, the wholesale origination channel has been a revolving door for industry players, with some exiting for various reasons and new ones coming in to take up the slack. Those currently in the game expect the instability will continue for some time. Wholesalers say the decision to exit the business or enter at one’s own peril boils down to perception: Is the glass half empty or half full? Brian Benjamin, a mortgage broker and president/CEO of Two River Mortgages ...

Some mortgage technology consultants, speaking on-background, are prophesizing that the investment will lead to Google moving into the realty market and becoming a direct competitor to traditional Realtors.

“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.

Increased regulation of mortgage brokers has prompted some to switch their business models to become so-called mini-correspondents. Industry lawyers suggest that being a mini-correspondent can offer benefits to those previously working as brokers, but the switch also comes with significant changes to business practices. "If you're a broker, think about what this is going to mean: higher net-worth requirements, warehouse lending, new compliance systems, new software systems to develop and generate the disclosures, and more importantly, significantly higher liability," Jonathan Jaffe, a partner at K&L Gates, said this week during a webinar hosted by the law firm. 'So there's a trade-off there if you're a broker thinking about converting," he said. Some brokers see...

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 ...

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.

Also, Morgan Stanley recently increased its stake in Arch Capital Group to 6.3 percent. Arch owns CMG Mortgage Insurance, which is being renamed Arch Mortgage Insurance Company.

It appears that the Federal Housing Finance Agency has slowed its search for a chief executive and chairman to manage the fledgling common securitization platform, which is slated to be headquartered in Bethesda, MD. One former candidate for the CEO position told Inside The GSEs: “It’s pretty much turned into the mess I suspected it would a year ago.” Discussing the chairman position, he added: “They still haven’t come to terms on compensation for the person they want.”