Marc Savitt, president of National Association of Independent Housing Professionals, a broker/appraiser trade group, noted that the short-term outlook for the sector looks difficult.

Flagstar has finally admitted that it's close to selling a ton of MSRs. But if you want details, don't hold your breath.

CashCall, a refi specialist that sells most of its production to Fannie Mae, is shedding a large chunk of its staff.

A few years ago, industry veteran Bill Dallas wasn't so crazy about loan brokers. But he has apparently changed his mind.

At least two young mortgage insurance firms hope to go public by yearend. But how might the market receive these deals with so much uncertainty surrounding the GSEs?

According to one servicing advisor, large banks – including Wells Fargo – have been quietly selling excess servicing rights through private securitizations.

One mortgage recruiter noted that job losses in somewhat rural communities can be a big problem for workers. “Sometimes they’re the largest employer in town and there’s nowhere else to go,” he said.

Previously, speculation has ranged from January 1 to June 30. Mortgage bankers told Inside Mortgage Finance that whatever the FHFA decides on an implementation date, it had better do so soon.

Wells Fargo late this week cut an additional 925 mortgage full-timers from its payroll while SunTrust Mortgage trimmed 800 positions.

In the third quarter of 2013, Wells Fargo sold a mere $8.4 billion in residential mortgages to Freddie Mac, a 71.3 percent plunge in volume from the second quarter, and a figure that represents just 17 percent of what the nation’s largest lender sold to Fannie Mae.