The Federal Housing Finance Agency considers community-based lenders a “critical” component for lawmakers to consider as they move to lay the foundation for a new housing finance system, an FHFA official said during a hearing this week of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance and Investment. “As we move to reform our nation’s housing system, it is important to ensure that community-based lenders are able to fully participate in the new system,” said Sandra Thompson, the FHFA’s deputy director for the Division of Housing Mission Goals. “There should not be a significant difference between how large and small lenders are treated when securitizing residential mortgage loans.” Thompson said...

During the debate, Committee chairman Jeb Hensarling accused Democrats of protecting the status quo by defending the current Fannie and Freddie dominated regime.

Amherst Securities said the risk-share deal was structured in a way that it will likely never take a loss.

NAR's oposition falls primarily in two areas: The PATH Act does not include an explicit federal guaranty and the bill dramatically restructures the FHA.

In general, mortgage-related earnings were strong at the nation's banks in the second quarter, but clearly earnings "leakage" is underway. And yes, gain-on-sale is starting to slip.

Some of the nation's largest home lenders are beginning to cut mortgage workers as refinancing applications swoon.

Both supporters and detractors of a House Republican bill aimed at comprehensive mortgage finance reform told members of the House Financial Services Committee this week the proposal has room for improvement, but the author of the proposal is pulling out all the stops to get the legislation on the fast track despite a nearly complete lack of bipartisan support. This week’s hearing, called by Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-TX, committee chairman and author of the Protecting American Taxpayers and Homeowners Act, was designed to gather input on the bill with an eye toward marking up the PATH Act before the House adjourns for its August recess. The bill would put...

With legislation to replace the government-sponsored enterprises not likely to be enacted until after the 2014 election, the Mortgage Bankers Association is proposing five steps administrators can take now to ensure a smooth transition without disrupting the nation’s housing finance system. At a press briefing this week, MBA President and Chief Executive Officer David Stevens rolled out the trade group’s five-point plan that could be immediately implemented by the Federal Housing Finance Agency and/or Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac without the need for legislation. At the top of the MBA’s list and the tallest order of the five recommendations is...

Redwood Trust, not surprisingly, was the top jumbo MBS issuer in the first half of 2013, according to exclusive rankings from Inside MBS & ABS.

Supporters are defending a House Republican proposal to liquidate Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and let the private market fill in the gaps. But despite a nearly complete lack of bipartisan support and even doubts from within his own party, the author of the proposal is pushing hard to fast-track the bill. This week, the House Financial Services Committee heard testimony from 11 experts on the Protecting American Taxpayers and Homeowners Act, introduced last week by Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-TX.“The PATH Act is a comprehensive proposal to create a sustainable housing finance system by ending the federal government’s domination of the housing finance market and give consumers more choices in determining which mortgage product best suits their needs,” said Hensarling.