We’re hearing unconfirmed reports that the Federal Housing Finance Agency may not hire a chief executive and chairman for the common securitization platform project after all…

But there was some good news: Jumbos accounted for 18.7 percent of total originations in the first quarter of 2014, a level not seen since 2004.

Fitch Ratings said the spike was an aberration, caused by a servicing transfer, not sudden poor performance by pristine jumbo borrowers.

Some 14 percent of Green Tree’s $196 billion servicing portfolio is subject to the national servicing settlement, according to Fitch.

The researchers confirmed that homebuilder originations from 2001 through the end of 2008 tended to go to lower credit-quality borrowers compared with originations from unaffiliated lenders.

In the first quarter, among the top ten, the biggest correspondent production gainers were Nationstar Mortgage and Stonegate Mortgage, both nonbanks.

A spokesman for Caliber Home Loans said that many of the lender’s non-agency mortgages will be non-QMs.

State regulators note that their concerns about nonbanks relate to significant growth in recent months prompted in part by increased capital requirements for banks.

The Center for American Progress, the National Community Reinvestment Coalition and other groups want Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to survive and are persuading several Democratic politicians to side with them. As for the GOP...

Construction-to-permanent loans are picking up a head of steam in certain markets. “Down here [in Florida] it’s extremely hot,” said Joe Adamaitis, vice president and residential lending manager for Insignia Bank.