MortgageHeadlineNews.com | Mortgage News, Rates, and Information

money.cnn.com

• Scarlett Johansson selling L.A. manse
  
• Money pit: When a cheap foreclosure costs much more
  Dusan Tatomirovic found a steal when he bought a foreclosed condo just north of Monterey, Calif., last April for $130,000.
• 6 ways to ensure remodeling pays off
  Just a few years ago you could count on getting the bulk of your money back for almost any home-improvement project you took on. Today merely replacing a toilet seat can feel like throwing caution, an…
• The commercial real estate dilemma
  Luckily for banks, the commercial real estate time bomb just keeps on ticking.
• Lost your house? You still have to pay
  As terrible as it is to lose your house to foreclosure, at least it's a relief to put your biggest financial headache behind you, right?
• Yet another try at foreclosure rescue
  Under fire for the low number of people receiving long-term mortgage help, the Treasury Department on Thursday announced new guidelines that will require applicants to provide all paperwork before get…
• Las Vegas: Most foreclosures of any city in 2009
  Cities in the so-called Sand States dominated the foreclosure rankings in 2009, with the 20 worst-hit metro areas residing in Nevada, Florida, California and Arizona.
• New home sales hit 9-month low
  New home sales plunged to a 9-month low in December, according to a government report issued Wednesday.
• America's most overvalued cities
  Don't say we didn't warn you.
• Bank of America steps up foreclosure prevention efforts
  One roadblock slowing Obama's foreclosure prevention program seems to be clearing up. Bank of America, the nation's largest mortgage lender, announced Tuesday that it was the first lender to sign an a…

• Home prices: First drop in 7 months
  Home prices fell in November for the first time in seven months, according to a industry report released Tuesday.
• Existing home sales sink 16.7%
  Existing home sales fell in December, the month after a federal tax credit was slated to expire, according to a real estate industry report issued Monday.
• 450,000 at risk in foreclosure-prevention program
  Hundreds of thousands of troubled homeowners who are making lower mortgage payments on a trial basis are at risk of being kicked out of President Obama's foreclosure-prevention program.
• Get help - before you fall behind on your FHA mortgage
  Struggling to pay your FHA mortgage? Now you no longer have to be late with your payments to get help.
• States urge action on foreclosures
  Cut loan principal for borrowers whose homes are worth much less than their mortgages. Attack the problem of option adjustable rate mortgages. Cut down on red tape.
• Harder to get an Uncle Sam mortgage
  It's going to be harder to get a government-backed mortgage from now on.
• Housing starts fall, but permits soar
  Home construction fell in December, government data showed Wednesday, while the number of building permits issued in the month rose.
• $8 million in assets - and can't get a mortgage
  The wealthy have money problems, too -- yeah they do.
• Homebuyer tax credit: No e-file and four-month delays
  Good news homebuyers: You can file for your $8,000 first-time buyer tax credit again.
• Foreclosures: How bad is your state?
  

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news.search.yahoo.com

• Grim Foreclosure Numbers Spur Mortgage Reform Bills (WXIA-TV Atlanta)
  ATLANTA - Metro Atlanta's foreclosure notices jumped a whopping 27% this month over January. That bad news is sure to spur on some state lawmakers who're trying to reform Georgia's mortgage laws and c…
• Bullard: Fed Should Sell Mortgage Holdings Before Hiking Rates (Fox News)
  Bullard: Fed Should Sell Mortgage Holdings Before Hiking Rates
• Lawsuit accuses mortgage brokers of targeting seniors (ABC 7 Chicago)
  Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has filed a lawsuit against two mortgage brokers, accusing them of using deceptive marketing to solicit senior citizens for reverse mortgages.
• Aaxa Mortgage gets second life (WWAY 3 Wilmington)
  Video Body A Wilmington-based mortgage company will remain open, thanks to the help of a West Coast bank. Aaxa Mortgage was forced to close its doors last week after an agreement with another bank wen…
• HAMP Champ: What Ever Happened to That Obama Mortgage Modification Plan? (ABC News)
  One year ago this month, the President announced a plan to alleviate the housing crisis. So, why have so few receieved mortgage modifications to date? Mortgage - President of the United States - Unite…
• FTC Proposes Rule That Would Bar Mortgage Relief Companies from Charging Up-Front Fees (RISMedia Real Estate News)
  RISMEDIA, February 9, 2010—The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) moved to protect distressed homeowners from the promoters of bogus foreclosure rescue and mortgage modification services by proposing a…
• State sues Woodridge mortgage company over deceptive marketing (Daily Herald)
  Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed lawsuits against two mortgage brokers, accusing them of using unfair and deceptive marketing practices to solicit seniors for reverse mortgages.
• Mortgage group has mortgage trouble (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
  If there’s any group that should be wise to the dangers of too much debt, it’s the Mortgage Bankers Association. The Wall Street Journal reports today, however, that the association took a big los…
• Saudi Arabia’s Mortgage Law to May Double Market Size, NCB Says (Bloomberg)
  Feb. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Saudi Arabian property market may double in size by 2015 if a planned mortgage law is put into effect, NCB Capital said. “A timely implementation of the mortgage law would furt…
• Mortgage Bankers Association Forced Into Short Sale: Today's Outrage (TheStreet.com)
  How bad is the mortgage crisis?It's so bad that the Mortgage Bankers Association had to sell its headquarters for less than it owes.

topix.com

• Fitch: Prime Jumbo RMBS Approach 10% Delinquent
  From Fitch: U.S. prime jumbo loan performance continued to weaken in January as serious delinquencies rose for the 32nd consecutive month, according to Fitch Ratings in the latest edition of Performan…
• Fed's Bullard: Housing should be key in reform
  The Obama administration and U.S. lawmakers are missing an opportunity to revamp the U.S. housing finance system, which should be central to regulatory reform, a top Federal Reserve official said in a…
• January housing starts increase 5.8 per cent
  A worker constructs a house in October. Housing starts increased to an annual rate of 186,300 units in January.
• Maui County fund helps 7 families buy their first homes
  WAIHEE, Maui - Seven families have purchased homes using money from the county's first-time homebuyers fund, the county announced last week.
• Wellington house values rise again
  Businesswire by Paul McBeth Wellington house values increased by 5.7% in the rolling three month period ending January 31, from a 4.6% gain reported in December, according to state-owned property valu…
• Kiwibank sheds 14 points from floating rate
  Kiwibank had dropped its floating mortgage interest rate to 5.65 per cent, down 14 basis points and the second lowest rate in the market.
• Swan sends rate warning to banks
  BANKS have been warned they will face the ''wrath of the Australian government'' if they push up mortgage rates after a decision announced yesterday to stop guaranteeing their overseas borrowings.
• House prices up 0.1% in January - Hometrack
  Published by Jon Land for 24dash.com in Housing Monday 1st February 2010 - 8:58am House prices up 0.1% in January - Hometrack House prices edged ahead by 0.1% during January as the market began to sho…
• When filing for personal bankruptcy makes sense
  With unemployment expected to persist above 10 percent through 2010, more Americans whose debt has ballooned may wonder whether they should seek protection from their creditors.
• 'Cash-in' refis growing in popularity
  Reporting from Washington - Thinking of cashing out some equity when you refinance your mortgage? Sure, that used to be what millions of homeowners did when they needed extra money.

• Mortgage investors try to regroup
  The financial wizards who concocted the complicated mortgage-linked investments that nearly brought down the world economy are trying to come back from the dead.
• Jackson man pleads guilty to two charges in connection with mortgage fraud scheme
  A Jackson man pleaded guilty to two criminal charges Friday for his part in a scheme to defraud mortgage companies of thousands of dollars.
• Financial reform talks break down in Senate
  Bipartisan efforts to tighten U.S. financial regulation ground to a halt in the Senate on Friday, casting one of the top domestic policy priorities of the Obama administration in a stark political lig…
• E*Trade cuts trading fees as price war escalates
  E*Trade Financial Corp will cut trading fees for low-volume customers, the U.S. online brokers said on Friday, making its move in a pricing war that erupted among rivals in recent weeks.
• 3 indicted in Houston area mortgage fraud allegations
  In the following press release it was announced that a 19-count sealed indictment charging Ming Shan Zhu , the owner of Catco Homes , Alvin Mark Eiland , former owner of Future Mortgage Company Inc .
• 4 UK lawmakers charged in expenses scandal
  Four British lawmakers will face criminal charges and the prospect of jail for alleged shady accounting practices during Britain's expense claims scandal, the country's chief prosecutor said Friday.
• Third Banking Failure In Minnesota Brings 2010 Total Closings To 16 | Problem Bank List
  The pace of bank failures in 2010 is almost double the number that were closed in 2009 at this point. Analysts are predicting that banking failures in 2010 will exceed...
• Blonde City lawyer who conned Japanese bank out of millions is jailed for five years
  A high-flying City lawyer who conned millions from her bank bosses to help a friend's ailing airline was jailed for five years today.
• Fewer Homeowners See Home Values Falling: Survey
  Fewer U.S. homeowners expect the value of their homes to decline in the year ahead, but they also believe gains are unlikely, according to a Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan survey published on…
• JPMorgan's Dimon Gets $17 Million Stock Award Bonus (Update1)
  JPMorgan Chase & Co Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon, who guided his firm to a profit each quarter of the financial crisis, received a bonus of about $17 million in restricted stock and options for…

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mortgagenewsdaily.com

• MBS CLOSE: Uneventful End To Uneventful Day
  Posted To: MBS CommentaryThough MBS were not quite as thinly traded as treasuries (lowest volume since the first trading day of 2010), the picture wasn't much better. At least that which is at risk on…
• Housing Needs Job Creation. What Sort of Jobs Though?
  Posted To: Voice of HousingMr. O’Reilly (December 01, 2009) claims that the “new” root cause of the housing crisis is the (lack of) “jobs, jobs, jobs.” So the solution to the crisis must be…
• Centralized Lock Desks Serve as a Gate Keeper. Source of Revenue
  Posted To: The Garrett Watts ReportThis was the half time scene in Miami last night at Super Bowl XLIV... I am sure many watchers were thinking: Why The Who? Maybe some of us in our 60s and 70s need t…
• MBS AFTERNOON: Narrow And Stable Heading Into The Close
  Posted To: MBS CommentaryThe market is duller than a Colts victory parade at the moment. We're dealing with a fairly standard issue "calm before the storm" that we often see on a data-limited Monday w…
• MBS LUNCH: Well Off Friday's Highs, But Holding Ground
  Posted To: MBS CommentaryAs AQ pointed out this morning, today's slightly downward trend in MBS price began in the final hours of Friday's trading. Both MBS and Treasuries put in their best marks of t…
• Short Term Direction of Mortgage Rates Dependent Upon Auctions and Stocks
  Posted To: Mortgage Rate WatchWho Dat!!!! Congratulations to New Orleans on a well played and exciting Super Bowl victory. Mortgage rate moved a few basis points lower on Friday following the Employme…
• MBS MORNING: Testing the Staying Power of Friday's FTQ Rally
  Posted To: MBS CommentaryDID I MENTION THUNDER SNOW ! By the look of the charts, it doesnt appear that we should be expecting any noticeable improvements in positive price momentum today. We are exten…
• MBA Takes Loss on Headquarters; CRA Loans; HAMP Servicer Updates; Prepay Speeds; Updates: GMAC, FAMC
  Posted To: Pipeline PressI thought about taking today off from the commentary to celebrate, since yesterday I won all 4 quarters of my office's Super Bowl pool! And then I remembered that I was the on…
• MBS OPEN: Sideways Start. Searching for Guidance
  Posted To: MBS CommentaryGood Morning. Congrats to the Saints. Here is a recap of my weekend.... We had a blizzard...32 inches of THUNDER SNOW . The driveway was defeated with snowblowers. This is onl…
• The Week Ahead: Treasury Auctions, Retail Sales, The Fed's Exit, Consumer Sentiment
  Posted To: MND NewsWireThe week ahead is a particularly slow one. The only major releases are the Trade Balance on Wednesday and Retail Sales report on Thursday. Plus, Friday will see February’s fir…

• MBS CLOSE: On The Doorstep Of A Brave "Old" World
  Posted To: MBS CommentaryWhen something is on a doorstep--any doorstep--there are only two places it can be going: either back inside the metaphorical house, or back to the world outside. Bonds, as re…
• Home Sellers Still See Conditions as Unfavorable. Perspective on Shadow Inventory
  Posted To: MND NewsWireA consumer survey conducted by Thomas Reuters and the University of Michigan indicates that it is sellers who are holding the housing market at low levels. In survey results rel…
• MBS AFTERNOON: Massive Stock Rally Leaves Bonds Slightly Weaker
  Posted To: MBS CommentaryAfter reaching as high as 101-20, MBS 4.5's are back down to 101-14. Its seems that layers of support are building at levels that would leave 4.5's at PAR after settlement nex…
• Housing Policy: The Message is as Important as the Mechanism
  Posted To: Voice of HousingThe nation’s capital is quickly shutting down, now that forecasters are calling for one to two feet of snow overnight. Local authorities warn residents to prepare to “sh…
• How Did The Employment Report Affect Mortgage Rates?
  Posted To: Mortgage Rate WatchMortgage rates improved a few basis points yesterday as panic set in on Wall Street. Headline news called attention to a developing crisis of confidence in the European U…
• MBS LUNCH: Bonds Soaring As 10yr Flirts With 2009 Ranges
  Posted To: MBS CommentaryEven by the time of our last commentary, it was no mystery that we got our bond-friendly eventuality today after the jobs report. That's nice, of course, but somewhere between…
• MBS MORNING: Prepayment Speeds Slow in January. EU Deficits Now in Focus
  Posted To: MBS CommentaryThe dust is starting to settle after the initial knee jerk reaction to the Employment Situation Report. Stocks are still dealing with yesterday's sovereign debt/jobs data/pani…
• FDIC Doing "A LOT" of Hiring; Less Loan Production in 2010; Neighborhood Watch Scorecard; California Tax Exempt Bonds; FY2011 Budget
  Posted To: The Garrett Watts ReportWe mentioned recently that Google was sitting on $24.5 billion in cash. Apple has $40 billion in cash, and even after paying out huge dividends, Microsoft still has…
• More on Loan Buybacks; GMAC's Earnings; Another BofA lawsuit; Primer on Volatility; Solid Super Bowl Joke
  Posted To: Pipeline PressA hole has been found in a nudist camp wall - the police are looking into it. There is also a hole in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania's budget, and the city is considering filing Cha…
• MBS OPEN: 20,000 Jobs Lost in Jan. Unemployment Rate Falls to 9.7%
  Posted To: MBS Commentary20,000 jobs were lost in January according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate fell from 10.0% to 9.7%. This will surely grab headlines... JAN NONFARM PAY…
• The Day Ahead: Employment Situation, Unemployment Rate
  Posted To: MND NewsWireEquity futures are deep in the red this morning after substantial losses yesterday. The culprit continues to be European sovereign debt concerns in Greece, Portugal and Spain, w…
• MBS CLOSE: Highs Of The Year All Afternoon
  Posted To: MBS CommentaryGotta love Jan and Feb... Fans of rhetoric finally have a window to use the phrase "of the year" and get off the hook by citing its literal accuracy. Even if MBS are only at t…
• Lenders Improve Mortgage Rates as Stocks Panic. Locking Ahead of Employment Report
  Posted To: Mortgage Rate WatchMortgage rates extended their streak of moving sideways near the most aggressive levels of the year yesterday. Although prices of mortgage backed securities were moderate…
• MBS AFTERNOON: Expecting Huge Revisions to Previous Jobs Data
  Posted To: MBS CommentaryAs stock traders prepare to head home, with hat in hand and tail firmly stuck between legs, both benchmark Treasuries and "rate sheet influential" MBS coupons are trading near…
• Fed MBS Program Update: 94% of Funding Used
  Posted To: MND NewsWireThe Federal Reserve today reported on their weekly purchases of agency mortgage-backed securities (MBS). In the week ending February 3, 2010, the Federal Reserve purchased a tot…

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imfpubs.com

• Mortgage Market at a Glance
  Weekly mortgage rates and application survey data as well as indexes for ARMs.
• Re-Purchased Mortgages Are Only Sector Growing in Fannie and Freddie Portfolios
  The retained mortgage portfolios of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac gradually shrank over the course of 2009, ending the year at their lowest levels since they were thrown into government conservatorship b…
• Congressional Support for Covered Bonds Legislation Grows as Backers Hope Third Time is the Charm
  Supporters of covered bonds hope the continuing struggles in the U.S. housing market, stagnation in the credit markets and lingering uncertainty about what to do with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will c…
• Agencies Likely to Keep Their Focus on Risk Management in 2010, Try to Mitigate Losses
  The federal government agencies that have dominated the mortgage market for the past two years show no signs that they will lead the market toward a more relaxed approach to credit that could boost pr…
• Administration Official Admits HAMP Conversions, Trial Mods Are Challenges, Servicers Say They Can Do More
  An official from the Obama administration put his best spin on recent Treasury Department statistics concerning the Home Affordable Modification Program but admitted that the initiative presents a few…
• Treasury Refines HAMP Documentation Process to Help Ease Borrower Transition from Trial to Permanent Mod
  The Obama administration last week announced revisions to documentation requirements under the Home Affordable Modification Program to expedite moving homeowners from trial to permanent loan modificat…
• Private MIs’ Bumpy Ride Continues in 2010 as Mortgage Industry Woes Linger, Analysts Say
  The private mortgage insurance industry’s roller-coaster ride is expected to continue in 2010, propelled by rising mortgage delinquencies, unemployment, increased foreclosures, more policy rescission…
• GSE Refinance Program Continues Modest Gains In Late 2009, But High LTV Option Little Used
  More borrowers were able to refinance through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac programs targeted to equity-strapped homeowners in late 2009, adding more flavor to what proved to be an unusual year in mortga…
• 2011 Housing Budget Proposal Omits GSE Details, Tweaks FHA Premium Structure, Reduces Mortgage Tax Deduction
  The Obama administration’s 2011 budget plan released this week includes an expected bid to raise FHA insurance premiums and a somewhat surprising proposal to tinker with the mortgage-interest tax ded…
• MBS & ABS Issuance at a Glance
  One page of issuance data.

• PPIP Investors Favor Prime Jumbo, Alt A
  Managers in charge of Public Private Investment Program funds have spread their money fairly evenly among Alt A MBS, prime jumbo MBS and commercial mortgage securities, according to data recently rele…
• Aligning Incentives Vital in Reshaping Market, But Risk Retention May Not be the Answer
  While legislation and other regulatory proposals try to sift out exactly how much risk loan originators and security issuers should retain before unloading assets, many industry experts are clamoring…
• Agency MBS Production Declines in Early 2010, But Volume Still Ahead of Last Year
  New issuance of single-family MBS by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae declined by 20.4 percent in January, according to the Inside Mortgage Finance MBS Database. The three agencies generated $10…
• TBA Market Draws Rave Reviews, But Agency Space Remains Uncertain
  The agency securitization space has been the only functioning sector of the secondary market over the last two years, and one type of MBS trade was hailed as the best thing to happen to the financial…
• FDIC May Extend Transition Rule on Securitization, But New Permanent Policy Could Be Major Challenge
  Industry sources remain concerned about how federal banking regulators will change the rules for mortgage and asset securitization in the future, even though a key official suggested that the Federal…
• Private Securitization Markets Tread Water As New Government Policies Slowly Evolve
  The American Securitization Forum held its annual conference on the outskirts of Washington, D.C., this week because, to a large extent, that’s where the future of the MBS and ABS markets will be det…
• Subprime Volume Indicators and ABX Prices
  A half page of subprime data.
• News Briefs
  State Street Bank and Trust agreed to a settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission this... The Obama administration’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2011 could increase the costs borrowe…
• Option ARM Problems Far From Finished
  Already high delinquency rates on option ARMs are expected to increase due to exceptionally high negative equity, according to Moody’s Investors Service. More than 70 percent of option ARMs securitiz…
• PennyMac Laments Lack of Performing Assets
  In its first five months of operating as a publicly traded real-estate investment trust, PennyMac Mortgage Investment Trust has been unable to turn a profit. PMT posted a $1.88 million loss for the pe…
• Non-Agency MBS Dominate Early PPIP Purchases
  Non-agency mortgage-backed securities account for approximately 87 percent of the purchases made by funds participating in the legacy securities Public-Private Investment Program. Meanwhile, critics w…
• OCC Prefers Underwriting Rules to Risk Retention
  Comptroller of the Currency John Dugan this week urged the Obama administration to prescribe minimum underwriting standards for mortgages in lieu of mandated risk-retention for issuers of mortgage-bac…
• New HAMP Documentation Policy Matches Ocwen
  Documentation adjustments made last week to the Home Affordable Modification Program endorse the practices of non-prime servicer Ocwen Financial. The Treasury Department said servicers must obtain key…
• Non-Agency Jumbo Growth Predicted for 2010
  Originations of non-agency jumbo mortgages could increase in the second half of this year, according to recent projections by Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Research. However, performance in the…
• HAMP for Second Liens to be a Major Factor In Non-Agency MBS Loss Mitigation Efforts
  Loss mitigation efforts to address second liens advanced significantly last week as Bank of America became the first servicer to agree to join the second-lien component of the Home Affordable Modifica…
• Downpayment Assistance Is Back On the Table
  A pesky program that the Department of Housing and Urban Development has fought to end resurfaced again in Congress with a bid to restore seller-funded downpayment assistance programs. A bill introduc…
• VA Lending Nearly Doubles in 2009
  The Department of Veterans Affairs saw its mortgage originations jump from $40.58 billion in 2008 to $74.04 billion in 2009, the largest total on record and a year-over-year increase of 82.4 percent,…
• FHA Gives Options to Borrowers Near Default
  Servicers now have more options in dealing with FHA borrowers who are having financial problems but are not yet in default. The Department of Housing and Urban Development last week said in Mortgagee…
• FHA Originations, Market Share Set New Highs
  The FHA endorsed $375.79 million in loans in 2009 and accounted for some 21 percent of the total originations in last year, both record highs in production for the government insurance program. The $3…
• More Lenders Sanctioned; Fines Not Always Costly
  The FHA’s hangman dragged another group of lenders to the gallows in recent weeks in a continuing demonstration that it means business. The latest wave of enforcement has seen a number of small playe…
• FHA Looks to Default Rates in Search of Red Flags
  The FHA’s newfound focus on disciplining lenders for bad lending practices has grown even stronger, as the Department of Housing and Urban Development announced a clearly defined set of guidelines it…
• 2011 Budget Proposes FHA Fee Tweak
  The Obama administration’s proposed 2011 budget for the Department of Housing and Urban Development expects a drop-off in overall FHA volume next year and looks to alter the fees charged to FHA borro…
• Worth Noting …
  The Fair Mortgage Collaborative, a nonprofit group that certifies lenders that meet its “fair and safe” standards, has unveiled a new Web tool and search engine that would ensure... The National Ass…
• Federal Roundup
  FHA Upfront Premiums Increase. Beginning April 5, 2010, the FHA will collect an upfront fee of... HUD, AK Regulator Settle RESPA Claims with Title Firm. The Alyeska Title Guaranty Agency has... H4H Pr…
• State Roundup
  Oregon. Attorney General John Kroger announced a settlement which barred a California law firm from doing any more loan modifications in the state. The settlement also required the USMAC Law Group of…
• Industry Says Ginnie Mae Issuers Appear Not Covered by Notice Rule
  The Mortgage Bankers Association asked the Federal Reserve Board last week to clarify a new final rule that is raising compliance questions among issuers and servicers of Ginnie Mae securities. The tr…
• Despite Economic Slump, Lenders May Still Get Favorable CRA Marks
  Financial institutions can still achieve strong ratings under the Community Reinvestment Act despite the economic downturn and reduced loan volumes, including those considered as CRA loans. It is not…
• HUD Requires Speedy Action on Borrowers in ‘Imminent Default’
  There will be limited loss mitigation options for borrowers facing imminent default under recent guidance issued by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Effective Jan. 22, servicers of FHA…
• HUD Puts FHA Lenders on Notice About High Default, Claim Rates
  Federal housing regulators are ramping up surveillance of mortgage companies’ claims rates to protect the FHA single-family mortgage insurance fund from bad underwriting and potential fraud. Fifteen…
• DOJ Expands Financial Fraud, Fair Lending Enforcement Strategies
  The Department of Justice is rolling out the big guns this year in its bid to investigate and prosecute all types of fraud and discriminatory business practices that may impede the nation’s economic…
• FHA Lenders Face Tighter Enforcement in ‘10
  Lenders doing business with the Federal Housing Administration will find their performance and compliance with FHA rules under closer scrutiny in 2010. Last week, FHA officials provided more details o…
• CFPA, OCC under New Federal Agency?
  A proposed federal consumer protection agency may wind up being part of a new super-regulatory agency under a compromise proposed by Sen. Richard Shelby, R-AL, ranking minority member on the Senate Co…
• News In Brief
  FHLBank of Seattle is Now Officially Undercapitalized: The Federal Home Loan Bank of Seattle continued to get pounded by... FHFA’s Lockhart Gets a New Gig. So Who Will Replace Him?: Outgoing Federal…
• FHLBanks Oppose Centralized Reporting Function
  The Federal Home Loan Banks and the Office of Finance are opposed to the recommendation of a study the Office of Finance sponsored last year that calls for more centralization of their collective repo…
• Technology Briefs
  Loan-Score Decisioning Systems, an enterprise-class pricing and automated underwriting provider, and Global DMS, a provider of appraisal process management solutions, recently integrated their systems…
• Technology Still Driving Mortgage Evolution
  Mortgage industry professionals are leaning more and more upon the latest technology applications to streamline their workflow, enhance collaboration, facilitate regulatory compliance, and otherwise t…
• New Century Ignored Warning Signs
  New Century Financial, one of the largest originators of subprime mortgages, didn’t waver from its business model from the subprime boom until its collapse in 2007, according to a Bank for Internatio…
• Multiple Underwriting Approvals Concept Patented
  A patent issued to a mortgage industry veteran in 2009 could provide a profitable opportunity for various players in the industry as the trends of automated underwriting and streamlined loan processin…
• Shelf Charter: A New Way to Acquire Failed Banks
  Bond Street Bank last week became the first federally regulated bank to use a novel procedure to bid on and acquire failed or troubled institutions through the federal bidding process and bring privat…
• Servicers Take Advantage of Short Sales
  Servicers are continuing to find that short sales can be among the most effective tactics to reduce loss severities within their portfolios, and the practice will likely become even more popular in Ap…
• Buyback Losses to Pressure Profits in 2010
  Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, private mortgage insurers and the FHA will be aggressively enforcing buyback provisions in 2010 against mortgage lenders to limit credit losses, according to a new report from…
• Refi Market Yields Earnings Windfall For Mortgage Banking in 2009
  The unexpected boom in refinance lending in 2009 helped propel the mortgage banking business to huge profits for the year, according to a new analysis of company earnings releases by Inside Mortgage P…
• Government Activity in Agency MBS Market
  MBS purchases and sales by the government entities through August 2009.

[ more posts from imfpubs.com ]

banks.com

• Guest Post: When Settling Your Taxes for Less is an Option
  This is a guest post from Manny Davis. You’ve probably heard about settling taxes owed for a fraction of what is owed or for pennies on the dollar. This may sound almost too good to be true, but the…
• Are You Ready for Tax Season? Tax Prep Checklist
  It’s February. Do you know where your tax information is? Even though it is still a couple months until April 15, it really is a good idea to get your tax stuff done as soon as possible. Indeed, Feb…
• Initial Unemployment Claims Rise
  It's getting harder to keep things going in terms of jobs right now. After yesterday's private sector report, today saw a report showing that initial unemployment claims are up.
• Job Situation Remains in Doubt: ADP and Challenger Reports
  Image via Wikipedia One of the main focuses of the economy is the jobs market. This is because it is difficult for the housing market to recover when there are large numbers of people who cannot affor…
• Why Now Might Be Just the Time to Refinance
  Mortgage interest rates are low, and they may not be this low again any time soon. As a result, it might be the time to refinance. Bills.com recently sent me an email offering insight into 5 reasons w…
• FHA Looks to Raise Annual Premium
  Many people find that FHA loans are good solutions for their issues related to getting an affordable home mortgage loan. The down payment requirements are lower than those required by many mortgage le…
• Mortgage Default? Your Lender May Still Pursue You
  Image by respres via Flickr As painful as foreclosure is, many people figure that once it is done with and over, the whole messy episode can be put behind them, allowing them to move on, and begin reb…
• State of the Union Address Encourages Optimism for the Future
  Image by Getty Images via Daylife Last night President Barack Obama offered up his first State of the Union Address. In it, he encouraged the American people to join together to overcome politics and…
• Is Your City Housing Market Overvalued or Undervalued?
  Image via Wikipedia The housing market remains mostly sluggish, but in some places things are picking up. However, there are still real estate markets that could fall. But not very many. In fact, many…
• 5 Credit Score Myths that Could Hurt You
  Image by stargazer95050 via Flickr You know that when you apply for a mortgage, your credit score is pulled. You know that you will only get the best mortgage rates if you have a good credit score. An…

fool.com

• Critical Tax Benefits You Should Know About
  ... of whom had a portion of their mortgage debt forgiven. Under standard IRS rules, the value of that aid would count as taxable income, but the Mortgage
• 2-Star Stocks Poised to Plunge: MetLife?
  .... Late last year , adartmouth described MetLife's mortgage exposure in a bearishly blunt fashion
• Your Best Chance to Profit in 2010
  ... leveraged world, everyone needs liquidity at the same time. Anyone who borrowed to buy mortgage-backed securities needed cash as mortgage values plummeted. Ambac (NYSE: ABK ) and the other bond in…
• How To Avoid Doomed Stocks
  .... Founded in 1969, the company was renowned for its history of surviving brutal real estate and mortgage cycles. It eventually became the largest mortgage lender in the U
• Forget Your Kids! Focus on Your Own Future
  .... Financing your retirement, on the other hand? Not so easy. Aside from perhaps a reverse mortgage
• These 5 Underdogs Are No Dogs
  .... It's a difficult time to be investing in residential mortgage backed securities, and such vehicles represented 91
• Juggling Your Financial Goals
  ... (rent or mortgage, utilities, medical bills, groceries, and the like
• 7 Saving Tips
  .... Many of us have some kind of monthly loan payment, whether it be a school loan, a car loan, credit card debt, a mortgage, or all of the above
• Drop-Dead Gorgeous Stocks
  ....97 *** PennyMac Mortgage $16.25 ** Companies are selected from the New 5-Year Lows list published on MSN Money on Friday
• There's Been Enough "Blame to Go Around"
  ...-January. It's easy to pile on the mortgage industry when there's enough blame to go around for everybody, Scott Norman, vice president of the Texas Mortgage Bankers Association, told the Dallas Bu…