Moody’s believes the servicers’ transitions into mortgage originations was positive, but raised concerns about declining refinance opportunities, competition with banks and the potential for nonprime originations.

According to figures compiled by Inside Mortgage Finance, the GSEs took in $16 billion from buybacks during the first six months of 2013. At the same time, lenders succeeded in getting $7 billion in repurchase requests withdrawn.

Mortgage professionals should hang onto their hats. Loan production could plunge by 32 percent in 2014.

“The president believes that Rep. Watt is the very best person to lead the agency at this important time for the housing market and our economy, and that having a confirmed FHFA director in place will help promote certainty for the housing industry,” said a White House spokesman.

The nomination of Rep. Mel Watt, D-NC, to replace current Federal Housing Finance Agency Acting Director Edward DeMarco may not dead after all.

Legislative reform of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the FHA will take years, according to panelists at the Mortgage Bankers Association's annual convention.

The incredibly shrinking refinance market helped continue the shift in the mix of single-family mortgages securitized by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the month of September, according to a new Inside The GSEs analysis.

In the wake of the JPM settlement, more megabanks may seek out of court settlements with the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

Bank of America is putting up a strong defense and plans on whittling down the settlement price in a Federal Housing Finance Agency non-agency MBS fraud case against the company, sources close to the matter told Inside MBS & ABS. One official close to the due-diligence team working for BofA said the regulator seeks a $13 billion payment to settle charges that the bank and two companies it bought during the housing meltdown – Countrywide Financial Corp. and Merrill Lynch – sold faulty nonprime MBS to the government-sponsored enterprises. This source, who spoke under the condition his name not be published, said...[Includes one data chart]

Investors shying away from new jumbo MBS have expressed strong interest in the risk-sharing transactions offered by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Demand for the transactions has been so high recently that some analysts are recommending that investors could see better returns from vintage non-agency MBS. Fannie Mae said about 75 investors initially bought into the $675 million in non-guaranteed bonds it offered, and Freddie Mac said about 50 investors initially bought into the $500 million in non-guaranteed bonds it offered. “The deal has been very well received...