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Inside Mortgage Finance

August 8, 2013

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Private MIs Post First Profitable Quarter in Six Years, Highest Market Share Since 2008

The four private mortgage insurers that survived the housing market collapse reported a combined $38.3 million in net income during the second quarter of 2013, the first positive result for the group since the second quarter of 2007, according to a new Inside Mortgage Finance analysis. Over that time, the four firms racked up a staggering $19.23 billion in losses, watched three competitors go down the drain, cobbled together various regulatory compliance strategies to stay in business and saw a huge chunk of the market get gobbled up by the FHA. But one new entrant gained...[Includes two data charts] Read More

Experts: Fannie’s Risk-Sharing Selection of Rookie MI To Insure $5B Mortgage Pool a ‘Training Wheels’ Deal?

Industry observers are reacting favorably to what is known about a recently announced agreement between Fannie Mae and the newest entrant to the mortgage insurance space to take up a risk-transfer transaction with the government-sponsored enterprise. In a agreement finalized July 15 but announced just last week, National Mortgage Insurance Corp. said it came out on top of a formal bidding process with Fannie to insure a pool of approximately $5.0 billion in mortgages as the GSE looks to expand its risk sharing with private entities. “Fannie Mae selected... Read More

Signs of Expansion in Wholesale as EverBank Exits The Channel; Broker Employment Edges Up Slightly

In the wake of EverBank’s recent exit from the wholesale/broker channel, there appear to be signs of expansion in the sector with nonbanks leading the charge. But mortgage brokers shouldn’t get their hopes up too much: Many of those expanding are nonbanks and none are likely to fill the void created by the megabanks – Bank of America, Chase and Wells Fargo – which began pulling out three years ago. “I truly believe... Read More

Settlement Between Ocwen and State AGs Expected ‘Very Soon,’ Others Appear Further Down the Road

Ocwen Financial expects to reach a settlement with state attorneys general regarding servicing practices “very soon,” according to Ronald Faris, the servicer’s president and CEO. State AGs have been working for more than a year to get other servicers to agree to terms similar to the $25 billion settlement reached with five large bank servicers in February 2012. A person with knowledge of the negotiations said terms with Ocwen have yet to be finalized or sent to the 50 state AGs, suggesting that it could be weeks before the settlement is completed. The source added that future settlements with servicers are likely to be reached on an individual basis, not bundled as they were with the settlement that involved Ally Financial, Bank of America, Citi, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo. Ocwen’s Faris said... Read More

Obama Revisits Earlier Refinance Proposal, Offers Implied Support for Bipartisan Senate Reform Plan

President Obama this week affirmed his view that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac should be wound down through a “responsible transition” to a new mortgage finance system that preserves the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage while emphasizing private capital. In a highly anticipated speech in Phoenix this week, Obama listed among his key reform principles that private capital should be in a first-loss position and the government should provide an appropriately priced, explicit guaranty to ensure continued access to the 30-year FRM. Those are the major components of the bipartisan reform legislation drafted by Sens. Bob Corker, R-TN, and Mark Warner, D-VA, although the president did not mention the bill by name. Obama also said... Read More

Be Mindful of Fair Lending Considerations When Calculating QM Points and Fees, Pros Advise

Given the complexity of the 3 percent points-and-fees cap for qualified mortgages under the ability-to-repay rule and the imperative of getting it right, mortgage lenders could still find themselves outside the compliance box if they ignore the fair lending implications of their business practices. “Fair lending is definitely something we have to take into consideration in every decision we make and every rule we come across,” said Ginger Moore, the compliance officer at PrimeLending, during a webinar last week sponsored by Inside Mortgage Finance. One example is... Read More

M&A Roundup: CashCall Sale in Question, Cole Taylor Deal Moving Along; MSR Thirst Still Red Hot

Three months ago, CashCall President Paul Reddam said he was open to offers on his refinance shop, but that was before a jump in interest rates signaled a downturn in refi lending. At the midway point in 2013, CashCall ranked as 26th in mortgage originations, according to Inside Mortgage Finance, and refi loans accounted for virtually all of its business. These days Reddam isn’t returning telephone calls and competitors and investment bankers that specialize in mortgage acquisitions say that of late, they’ve heard little about CashCall’s situation. “I’m getting resumes from some of their employees,” said one mortgage CEO who is based in the same Southern California market as CashCall. “We’re seeing a lot of resumes from refi shops.” This executive, who focuses on purchase lending and spoke on the condition his name not be used, said... Read More

Non-Agency MBS Trustees Sue on Behalf of Investors to Stop Implementation of Richmond’s Eminent Domain Plan

Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and mortgage-backed securities trustees representing investors in non-agency MBS sued the city of Richmond, CA, this week to stop it from further implementing a plan to use eminent domain authority to seize and purchase performing underwater mortgages. Wells Fargo and Deutsche Bank, acting as trustees for a group of investors that includes BlackRock, Inc., Pacific Investment Management and the government-sponsored enterprises, filed the lawsuit in federal court in San Francisco at the behest of certificate holders. The plaintiffs are asking the court to declare the “Richmond Seizure Program” unconstitutional and in violation of California laws, and to order city officials to end the program. Securitizers and investors are... Read More

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