What We’re Hearing: President Trump and GSE Reform / The NEC and Treasury, Cheek-to-Cheek on Fannie and Freddie? / Time to Hire an Investment Banker / Tim Who? / Altisource Unloads a Division / Odeon Hires Bove March 29, 2019 Paul Muolo Wells Fargo ranks first among home lenders and servicers – and with or without Tim Sloan, that’s not likely to change anytime soon…Read More
How Long Will it Take for Treasury to Come Up with a GSE Plan? March 28, 2019 Paul Muolo Meanwhile, HUD needs to assess whether the HECM program should survive...Read More
Short Takes: What Happened to the GSE Rally? / Time for Treasury to Hire an Advisory Firm? / Trump Serves Notice to HUD as Well, HECMs a Big Concern / Where Did All the Senators Go? / Hugh Frater’s Other Job March 28, 2019 Paul Muolo and Yemeng Yang President Trump is concerned about the HECM program...Read More
President Trump Directs Treasury to Draft GSE Overhaul; White House Wants Final Say March 27, 2019 Paul Muolo “For each administrative reform, the Treasury housing reform plan shall include a timeline for implementation,” Trump writes.Read More
Fannie Makes it Official, Names Interim CEO Hugh Frater Permanent Chief March 27, 2019 Paul Muolo Although Frater will lead Fannie, which earned $16 billion in 2018, his salary will be capped at $600,000 per year...Read More
Subservicing Continues to Grow but Landscape is Shifting March 27, 2019 Paul Muolo Thanks to its bankruptcy filing, Ditech’s future as a subservicer is in doubt…Read More
Short Takes: FHFA IG Questions GSE CEO Succession Plans / The Watt Era / A Rare Instance of Bipartisan Agreement on a GSE-Related Issue / If Brickman Didn’t Get the Job, He Was Going to Quit / Please, Cut My Pay / FHFA’s Response March 27, 2019 Paul Muolo When’s the last time a chief executive of a multi-billion-dollar-asset company did something like that? Read More
Hearings Commence on GSE Reform. NAHB Worries About ‘Administrative’ Changes, Academic Trashes Crapo’s Ideas March 26, 2019 Paul Muolo Georgetown Law Professor Adam Levitin: “I am deeply concerned about the basic direction of the chairman’s housing-finance reform proposal outline..."Read More
MBA Research: A Net Origination Loss of $200 Per Loan in 4Q18 March 26, 2019 Paul Muolo Added MBA’s Walsh: “On the servicing side of the business, mortgage servicing impairments resulting from December’s drop in interest rates hurt profitability.”Read More
Short Takes: Stearns Issues Expensive Debt / Counter-Cyclical? Not Always / MSR Impairments a Factor / Alterra Seeks a Controller / CFPB Taking Advisory Board Applications March 26, 2019 Paul Muolo Usually, mortgage banking is a counter-cyclical business, but not always...Read More