Mortgage product innovation could be dead thanks to a new policy from the CFPB...

In the wholesale/broker channel, United Wholesale was the volume leader for the year…

Roughly 60 percent of the nonbank's fourth quarter originations came through the consumer-direct channel.

Roughly 88 percent of lenders plan to grow their origination business this year, and many – 67 percent – will either increase the number of retail branches or add loan officers.

Fairholme is feeling the heat from investors over poor performance, with Berkowitz noting the fund’s returns have “put us in the dog house.”

Meanwhile, Fairholme’s case against the government is still pending and Berkowitz said from a legal standpoint, “We’re getting closer to the finish line…”

“We see a lot of multiple offers, especially for first-time buyer ranges,” said one real estate agent based in Washington State.

“It is time to shrug off the naysaying consultants and lawyers who breed a culture of fear and hypothesized problems to hype their services,” Cordray added.

Private MIs finished third in agency refinance loans, partly because the Fannie/Freddie program for refinancing underwater borrowers continued to slow down.

Baldwin noted that experienced mortgage bankers have grown to expect seasonality, but that doesn’t mean they have to like it…