The new service from Freedom Mortgage will handle all aspects of the mortgage transaction, from the initial customer call to closing and servicing of the loan.

The new ownership filing on Walter Investment comes at a time when short interest in nonbank mortgage firms is increasing.

Mark Mozilo, a principal in CALCAP, told IMFnews that he is seeing more competition in the hard money space.

One executive familiar with the practice of signing bonuses noted that typically the money is paid out over 12 months, but if the LO does not repeat their past performance the bonus can terminate in a given quarter.

It appears that the Federal Housing Finance Agency has slowed its search for a chief executive and chairman to manage the fledgling common securitization platform, which is slated to be headquartered in Bethesda, MD. One former candidate for the CEO position told Inside The GSEs: “It’s pretty much turned into the mess I suspected it would a year ago.” Discussing the chairman position, he added: “They still haven’t come to terms on compensation for the person they want.”

What’s the best way to entice a workaholic mortgage loan officer who knows how to bring home the bacon? Answer: Pay them a huge signing bonus.

January 2014 marked the fourth month in a row where combined agency securitization included more purchase-money mortgages than refinances, according to Inside MBS & ABS.

Some 18 lenders contributed to the security, all of which were disclosed – somewhat uncommon for jumbo MBS.

Also, the CFPB is considering requiring more underwriting and pricing information, such as the interest rate, total origination charges, and discount points.

Among other issues, the GAO found that for three of the servicers, their denial rates were significantly higher for Hispanics than for the comparison population of non-Hispanic whites.