Federal regulators should craft capital requirements for nonbank mortgage companies that emphasize areas of risk that demand adequate capital and profitability, such as lending and mortgage securitization, instead of areas that are more connected with operational efficiency and compliance, such as loan servicing, according to the Kroll Bond Rating Agency. The Federal Housing Finance Agency is trying to determine how much capital a nonbank mortgage company involved in lending, securitization and/or servicing needs in order to minimize the potential risk to the government-sponsored enterprises, while Ginnie Mae is researching the risk posed by nonbank issuers. “How much capital does a nonbank seller/servicer need...

Concern about government-proposed capital rules for private mortgage insurers and their potentially negative effect on MI premiums has prompted loan guarantors and others to call for changes. The Mortgage Bankers Association, National Association of Realtors and several private MI companies have urged the Federal Housing Finance Agency to ease proposed capital requirements for private MIs. As written, the proposed rules could cause MI premiums to spike, making it more difficult for first-time homebuyers to purchase a home and for MIs to maintain market share, they warned. The draft Private Mortgage Insurer Eligibility Requirements (PMIERs) is...

The Federal Housing Finance Agency should abandon its proposed increase in guaranty fees charged by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, according to a number of industry groups. The Mortgage Bankers Association said in a comment letter that it opposes hikes in g-fees and loan-level price adjustments, noting that g-fees have become attractive to Congress as cash cow means for funding non-housing programs. “Clearly, the GSEs were undercapitalized...

it appears the halcyon days of legacy MSR sales are over. Or so Ocwen is telling Wall Street.

“If g-fee increases were being used to build up enterprise reserves, instead of being swept under the Treasury agreement, we would be more open to such increases,” said the CHLA.

We understand that when stock analysts meet with Ocwen management, executives at the nonbank usually tell them to not even ask about the deal.

Sen. Richard Shelby, R-AL, agreed with Warren’s criticism of the government’s failure to prosecute individual bankers, but he faulted the Department of Justice, not financial regulators...

"Wellington's going to do what Wellington's going to do," said one observer of the stock sale.

One observer familiar with Stegman’s remarks said, “I think it’s clear that he likes what Redwood is doing in the system.”

As reported by IMFnews, 18 current members are affected by the proposed ban on captives, seven of which are mortgage real estate investment trusts.