Some trade groups, including the California Mortgage Bankers Association and National Association of Realtors are not happy with the idea of lower loan limits.

Among correspondent buyers of mortgages, SunTrust ranks 10th nationwide, according to half-year 2013 figures compiled by Inside Mortgage Finance.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgage-backed securities accounted for 74 percent of combined FHLB MBS portfolios in the second quarter, up 2 percent from 1Q13.

The Chicago ordinance, which took effect in November 2011, requires mortgage lenders to register vacant properties with the city and pay a $500 registration fee.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgage-backed securities remained the preferred investment choice of the 12 Federal Home Loan Banks during the second quarter of 2013, with a negligible increase from the previous quarter, according to a new analysis and ranking by Inside The GSEs based on data from the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Meanwhile, Ginnie Mae securities posted a modest but noticeable decline within the FHLBank system during the period ending June 30, 2013. GSE MBS accounted for 73.9 percent of combined FHLBank MBS portfolios, up 1.9 percent from the first quarter. The Finance Agency’s data do not separately break out Fannie and Freddie volume or share.

With more than two years left to go in the Home Affordable Refinance Program, it remains to be seen how many HARP-eligible loans will ultimately be refinanced as borrower education and lender participation in the program continue to be major challenges, according to a recent report by the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s official watchdog. In its “mid-program assessment,” the FHFA’s Office of Inspector General report noted that since HARP was launched in March 2009 through March 2013, 2.4 million HARP refis have been completed. The HARP 2.0 modifications rolled out in late 2011 and subsequent changes made throughout 2012 and 2013 have “substantially increased” the program’s refi volume, particularly for loans with loan-to-value ratios greater than 105 percent, said the OIG.

Future guaranty fee increases promulgated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency will be driven by the shape of the mortgage market to come, according to a new report from Barclays. The FHFA has telegraphed additional g-fee increases in 2013 following two hikes last year. Currently g-fees average 50 to 55 basis points compared to 24 bps in 2009, noted Barclays. “Further g-fee hikes will depend on the path of GSE reform, the amount of capital various entities in the system are required to hold and the cost of capital of these entities,” said Barclays.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency is ignoring a clear directive to rehabilitate Fannie Mae and the GSE conservator’s failure to restore the firm to financial health has come at the cost of the company’s common shareholders, according to a new lawsuit filed against the government earlier this week. Fannie shareholders Bryndon Fisher and Bruce Reid filed suit against the United States government, as well as Fannie as a nominal defendant, in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. This latest shareholder lawsuit does not challenge the legality of Fannie’s placement into conservatorship in September 2008.

The official watchdog of Fannie Mae's regulator has flagged "several opportunities for improvement" in the Federal Housing Finance Agency's oversight of the nearly $12 billion buyback settlement between Bank of America and the GSE announced earlier in the year. In its review of the January BofA/Fannie settlement, FHFA's Office of Inspector General credits the agency for its adherence to its repurchase settlement guidance, an IG-recommended policy that the regulator issued in June 2012. However, FHFA's repurchase guidance and consequently its oversight of the buyback settlement fell short regarding the resolution of compensatory fees and the transfer of mortgage servicing rights, the OIG report found.