A federal employee union and the Department of Housing and Urban Development have agreed to implement a seven-day employee furlough because of a severe mandatory reduction in HUD’s budget in FY 2013. The seven furlough days, which also will affect FHA operations, will apply to HUD’s entire 9,100-person work force and will be spread out to one for each pay period beginning May 24. HUD initially proposed a 13-day furlough plan, which was to start May 10, but agreed to reduce it to seven days and to move the start date to May 24. Under an agreement between HUD and the American Federation of Government Employees Council 222, furlough days will occur on ...

The Department of Housing and Urban Development is tightening its oversight of principals in FHA-insured multifamily properties by requiring lenders to clear all requests for additional insurance commitments that exceed $250 million with HUD before approval. Recently issued guidance describes how lenders can obtain pre-approval from HUD when principals have FHA-insured assets greater than $250 million, including the proposed additional commitments. The department is concerned that FHA may be taking on too big a risk with such principals. HUD pre-approval is required to ...

The long awaited recovery in the jumbo MBS market may finally be here as more banks plan to issue securities.

Quicken is buying a large MSR portfolio from the government-owned Ally Bank and more deals may be in the works.

The Federal Reserve will continue to gobble up MBS and other long-term bonds, which means mortgage rates should stay low.

The FHFA IG, in a new report, is critical of how Freddie Mac is managing its services regarding consumer complaints.

Nationstar Mortgage, a fast growing residential servicer, is losing the man in charge of default processing at the firm.

Industry veteran Sy Naqvi is stepping down as CEO of PNC Mortgage.

Can Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac capture $93 billion in deferred tax assets - money that ultimately will flow through to the U.S. Treasury?

Stable interest rates are making refinancing less attractive to the newest mortgage borrowers, which should keep prepayment rates very low.