Recapitalizing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is a good idea, according to the Congressional Budget Office, which said that it wouldn’t significantly change how the government-sponsored enterprises operate today, but it would help stabilize the mortgage market and the federal budget. In response to several legislative proposals calling for the GSEs to build capital, the CBO recently published a report studying the effects of an “illustrative policy option.” Fannie and Freddie capital will...

The higher purchase-money estimate – released at the MBA annual in Boston – is predicated on stronger household formations coupled with employment growth and rising wages.

Ocwen, which in the past has been sanctioned by regulators for some of it servicing practices, also disclosed $10.0 million of additional reserves for a potential California regulatory settlement and $7.0 million of incremental reserves for a previously disclosed letter dating issue.

At Flagstar, refinances accounted for 57.6 percent of originations compared to 54.2 percent in the second quarter.

But there is one caveat: The VA sector is one business from which banks are not yet running away from…

“Agency MBS prepayment speeds slowed in September, but they still hover near the multi-year highs reached last month,” according to a report from Keefe, Bruyette & Woods.

Back in May, the reading for first-time homebuyers was 40.4 percent.

CBO’s comments were contained in a report that takes a “what if” approach to allowing Fannie and Freddie to retain as much as $5 billion of capital a year for 10 years...

Jumbo lending has a much more retail focus: the vast majority of loans are originated for portfolio or, in the case of non-depositories, sale to a bank or other portfolio investor.

Freddie said the revised suite is “designed to take costs out of the loan origination process.”