Despite a sharp increase in mortgage originations last year, the number of state-licensed loan originators increased by just 2.7 percent compared to 2011, according to data from the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System analyzed by Inside Mortgage Trends. A total of 519,428 loan originators were either licensed by the states or registered as staff of a bank, thrift or credit union. The highest concentration of these LOs was in California, where 15.3 percent of the industry ... [Includes one data chart]

Is the tide turning on residential delinquencies suffered by banks or do the numbers look better because the group is selling legacy MSRs?

According to an analysis by Fitch Ratings, the overall charges for a simple jumbo non-agency MBS across all note-holders would increase to between 6.3 percent and 8.2 percent under the new proposal.

The launch of the revised CFPB database expands the bureau's consumer complaint apparatus in a major way. It includes a sub-category for many products, including mortgages.

Fannie Mae could have an answer to its 'deferred tax asset' issue by the end of next week, freeing up billions of dollars in money.

Genworth moves closer to delinking from its mortgage insurance unit. Meanwhile, Wells Fargo has suffered the loss of a well-regarded regional rep.

Most Freddie Mac servicers are not complying with reporting requirements that seek to catch servicing fraud and regulatory violations, a mandate that falls under the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s Servicing Alignment Initiative, according to a new audit. The FHFA Inspector General separately slammed the regulator for failing to “thoroughly oversee” how the two government-sponsored enterprises monitor their seller/servicers’ compliance with contractual agreements.

The credit union industry has appealed to the U.S. Senate for relief on rules and regulations coming out of the CFPB.

Severely delinquent Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac borrowers may get a shot at a streamlined refi under a new program unveiled Wednesday.

Residential loan production for 2013 may turn out to be better than originally projected, thanks to a vastly improved purchase-money business.