Wells Fargo’s CMO business was down 36.7 percent from the first half of 2016…

Reinsurers coming late to the feast might find slimmer pickings as pricing continues to tighten in the sector…

Brian Benjamin, who runs Two River Mortgage & Investment in Red Bank, NJ, noted that if brokerage shops are laying off, “it’s support staff.”

CFPB's Cordray clerked for both Robert Bork and Anthony Kennedy...

Several mortgagee letters issued this week may have lifted the Department of Housing and Urban Development out of the doldrums, though that can quickly change if key staff positions remain vacant for a longer period, according to industry observers. Observers say problems might arise, as two key staff positions that are crucial to the implementation and enforcement of any HUD rule remain vacant. The Trump administration’s proposed deep cuts to HUD’s FY 2018 spending bill and Republican opposition to HUD’s Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Rule reportedly have put a crimp on the nominations for the department’s top staff positions, observers said. Confirmations of Pamela Pantenaude as HUD deputy secretary and J. Paul Compton as HUD general counsel appear stalled on the Senate floor. The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs approved ...

Ginnie Mae Spokesperson Leaves Agency. Cynthia Adcock, director of communications and congressional relations at Ginnie Mae, will no longer be with the agency effective Sept. 4, 2017. Adcock will assume similar duties and responsibilities as a director with the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Michael Huff will handle media inquiries related to Ginnie Mae and congressional matters. FHA Lenders Settle Alleged Violations of FCA, FHA Requirements. The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of the Inspector General recently announced receipt of $44.3 million from separate settlements with two FHA lenders. The settlements resolve allegations of fraudulent claims and violation of FHA requirements against Financial Freedom of Austin, TX, and Prospect Mortgage of Sherman, Oaks, CA. On May 16, 2017, Financial Freedom, an FHA servicer, agreed to pay the ...

The new MBS from Redwood will include a mix of safe-harbor qualified mortgages, rebuttable presumption QMs, non-QMs and some loans not subject to QM standards.

During a press briefing with the media this week, HUD officials estimated there are roughly 24 million seniors with untapped equity in their homes…

Several top-ranked REITs are now trading much closer to their 52-week highs than their lows while maintaining hefty dividend payments to their shareholders.

In a blog posting midweek, attorney Barbara Mishkin of Ballard Spahr says it appears Cordray will not resign before Labor Day…