In its rebuttal, FHA argues that if the delinquent loans had not been worked out, lenders would have been entitled to $5.2 billion of insurance claims – money the MMIF could ill afford.

In other words, mortgage banking is now supposed to be a “sure thing” where no one – and we do mean no one – takes on risk or fails. Ever.

The increase in mortgage debt outstanding in the third quarter of 2013 increasingly looks like an aberration rather than a turning point.

In the non-QM space, Lake Sunapee Bank serves a large number of self-employed borrowers, medical professionals, high net-worth retirees, and first-time homebuyers.

Skyline declined to name the company’s non-QM investor. “We have an investor who has created a shelf,” is all the CEO would say on the topic.

Ocwen is still active as a bidder on MSR packages, focusing on smaller transactions these days.

It's unclear what exactly Leslie Peeler will do at IBM Mortgage. The tech giant rarely says anything about its mortgage division.

Just how large is the non-QM market? That’s hard to say...

“Banks are really bad at servicing nonperforming loans,” said Jon Wishnia, a partner at the law firm of Lowenstein Sandler.

DBRS isn't mincing any words: “Compared with other post-crisis representations and warranties frameworks, this transaction employs a relatively weak standard..."