Mortgage lenders repurchased just $522.5 million of home loans from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac during the first quarter of 2014, according to disclosures filed by the two government-sponsored enterprises with the Securities and Exchange Commission. That was by far the lowest quarterly repurchase volume reported by the GSEs, according to an analysis by Inside Mortgage Trends, an affiliated newsletter. Because Fannie and Freddie this year stopped providing detailed repurchase activity data in their quarterly earnings, the SEC disclosures are the only comprehensive source of GSE buyback activity. First-quarter repurchase volume was...[Includes one data chart]

Despite certain “unique” circumstances under which principal might be reduced on a Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac loan, the government-sponsored enterprises’ blanket prohibition on principal reduction remains in place, according to the GSEs’ regulator. The Federal Housing Finance Agency said it remains true to its long-standing policy despite a recent change in management and in the face of continued calls by progressive groups for the FHFA to embrace the use of principal reduction on GSE-backed loans in foreclosure mitigation. “As outlined in FHFA’s 2014 Strategic Plan for the Conservatorships of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, FHFA is...

Texas was the second largest source of Fannie/Freddie business during the first half, accounting for 7.3 percent of the market.

By extending the comment period, it’s likely that lenders will have at least 120 days before any g-fee hikes are installed.

Hello, It's Me Again: Your foreclosure notice.

Analysts at Wells Fargo Securities recently upsized their ABS issuance forecast for 2014, projecting $195 billion in issuance for the year.

The Fannie-BofA squabble was tied to repurchase claims surrounding the bank’s legacy book of business, largely involving loans produced by Countrywide Financial and Merrill Lynch.

“I don’t see how New York can’t ultimately approve Wells’ sale of servicing to Ocwen,” said one analyst. “I think it’s more a matter of when.”

Although only one of the 21 banks (BB&T) posted a net loss on mortgage banking during the second quarter, seven others reported lower profits than they had in the first quarter.

A new analysis shows that housing markets where FHA loan limits were reduced this year have seen a bigger drop in FHA business than elsewhere in the country.