Mortgage-related issues will likely play a central role in the end product of financial regulatory relief legislation working its way through the U.S. Senate. For now, though, the measure passed by the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee last week is really an opening gambit, as congressional staffers confer over technical details and lawmakers horse trade and arm twist. “It’s a starter,” said Bob Davis, head of mortgage markets and the senior lobbyist at the American Bankers Association, speaking of the bill sponsored by committee chairman Sen. Richard Shelby, R-AL, the Financial Regulatory Improvement Act of 2015. “The Shelby bill will be...

The former analyst said Freddie has “an inferior security [MBS] necessitating the need for a lot of time and expense to create a common securitization platform…”

The lawmakers join a growing chorus of mortgage professionals calling for an ease on tight enforcement of the TILA/RESPA Integrated Disclosure rule.

The regulator said it plans to use its “expanded data” house price index to determine adjustments for conforming loan limits.

We understand that American Home Mortgage founder and chief executive Michael Strauss may be launching a new nonprime lender...

Although Associated denies that any such lending discrimination took place, it agreed to commit almost $200 million in new loans to “targeted” areas...

Elsewhere, the CFPB continues to be steadfast on the August 1, 2015, effective date for its TILA/RESPA integrated disclosure rule...

A big part of the MBS liquidity issue is caused by the Fed’s massive holdings, said Steve Abrahams, a managing director at Deutsche Bank.

Seven months ago, a fledgling nonprime lender called Deephaven Mortgage unveiled a $300 million investment in the firm by a global “alternative” hedge fund called Varde Partners, Minneapolis. But since then, not much has been heard about Deephaven. Then again, it might be said that the “new” nonprime industry is still trying to figure out how to operate in a world of tight regulation, non-QM lending and a securitization market that doesn’t want to touch its product. Matt Nichols, the former Goldman Sachs managing director who formed Deephaven two years ago, did not respond...

Mortgage originations are already off to a better start in 2015, and industry economists are predicting, on average, a 15 percent increase from last year’s sluggish output. But uncertain prospects in the housing market point toward a decline in mortgage originations next year, according to forecasters at the secondary market conference sponsored this week by the Mortgage Bankers Association. 2015 should bring the strongest housing sales volume since 2007, said Leonard Kiefer, deputy chief economist at Freddie Mac. Sales activity was decent over the winter, despite severe weather in many areas, but the market has yet to get back to normal. Freddie looks...[Includes one data table]