Is BlackRock up to something regarding its investment in Redwood Trust?

David Schneider, CEO of Vericrest Financial, a fast growing servicer that is rumored to be a bidder on Ally Financial’s $122 billion of mortgage servicing rights, has left the company, sources familiar with the situation told Inside Mortgage Finance. Schneider could not be reached for comment at deadline. A spokeswoman for the company would not comment on the situation but would not deny his departure either. Schneider has been building bridges in the servicing community…

First Guaranty is experiencing strong growth in its servicing business. Meanwhile, lenders worry about higher net worth requirements from the GSEs.

City National Bank of Los Angeles is entering the mortgage warehouse business.

Nationstar Mortgage closes on servicing deals.

Relatively new players to the world of Fannie Mae approvals are starting to gripe a little more about the “volume curbs” that the GSE is placing on its “newbie” customers. One mortgage banker, who spoke under the condition his name not be used, told Inside Mortgage Finance ...

Norton Wells, senior vice president of Bank of America’s mortgage resolution team, has left the company, industry officials confirmed to Inside Mortgage Finance.

Now that mortgage insurance claims are waning, and new business is on the rise again, there’s increasing talk that Essent Guaranty might file papers to go public this year.

JPMorgan Chase is joining the ranks of banks laying off loan review staff now that they’ve settled their foreclosure cases with the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Reserve.

National MI, the Emeryville, CA-based mortgage insurer started by former executives at The PMI Group, has yet to write its first policy, but may soon.