We're hearing that industry folks are hoping the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will just use its regulatory authority to exclude loan originator compensation from the 3% points and fees cap.

We’re hearing that sometimes one hand at a lender does know what the other hand is doing.

We're hearing a personal sigh of relief that I survived unharmed at the MBA servicing show last week despite my personal attack in this paper on the hometown Dallas Cowboys.

We're hearing that some of the relative call protection found in Ginnie Mae securitizations may not last.

We're hearing in the last few years, private equity, hedge funds and Wall Street types have eyed the distressed housing market for buying opportunities.

We're hearing that a new housing reform proposal developed by a private bipartisan commission will be very kind to the FHA mortgage insurance program.

Despite early industry efforts to establish recommended industry standards for private-label residential mortgage-backed securities representations and warranties, some issuers are trying to diversify their approaches.

Visiting Dallas for the MBA servicing conference is particularly hard for me.

In the 23 years I’ve been following the mortgage finance industry, many proposals have been made to scale back or even eliminate the mortgage interest deduction.

We're hearing that an Oregon pilot program might be the model the Treasury Department has been looking for to refinance borrowers who are trapped in underwater private-label loans.

One thing's for sure: a mortgage servicing business that used to be all about sending out bills and then slitting open envelopes or electronically receiving money is a business of the past.

We're hearing that the mortgage supply chain still needs more accountability and there is a more effective, simpler and even-handed way to provide it.

We're hearing bulk sales of REO might not be a panacea for unburdening the industry’s huge foreclosed backlog after all.

We're hearing the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is carrying on as if it is business as usual.

We're hearing that many in the industry think getting a purchase deal is the Holy Grail for sustainable business and the best way to generate consistent profits over time.