Amilda Dymi

Insiders find Federal Reserve changes to its so-called quantitative easing policies in 2014 are not enough to ease housing market uncertainty.

The ratings agency has downgraded $45 million in securities issued by Bank of America in 2005 and 2006 citing macroeconomic and servicing factors.

Calgary-based Boardwalk Real Estate Investment Trust gave two families free lodging for 2014 and a holiday to remember.

Owners of single-family rentals can put the small units in their backyards, zoning permitting.

Under the agreement Flagstar Bancorp will sell $41 billion in aggregate unpaid principal balance of residential mortgage servicing rights to Matrix Financial Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of Two Harbors Investment.

An unprecedented annual jump in Internet mortgage banking transactions coupled with a 50% increase in mobile banking is profoundly changing retail bank operations and customer retention practices across the U.S., according to Accenture.

The new LoanLogics’ team is led by three experienced compliance officers whose current focus is to provide regulatory compliance and loan quality assessment services that help lenders minimize costly mortgage loan buybacks.

The federal agency is providing redevelopment funding for 12 multifamily rental properties in an effort to prevent the displacement of elderly tenants for at least another decade.

At least two bank-owned commercial loans were recently sold at a significant premium indicating recent price gains will help banks cut more losses in the near future.

Increased national and international regulatory burdens are challenging mortgage firms to build efficient compliance risk mitigation strategies and test their business models against cyber-crime. A few themes are emerging.

Despite signs of retraction there still is hope for a consistent albeit slow housing market recovery in 2014, TransUnion analysts say.

The nonbank company is adding more than 200 employees associated with its new business additions.

Single-family rental securitization prospects look brighter to supporters who find the REO-to-rental trend has evolved enough to bode well for a new wave in 2014, but analysts warn of unique new investor risks.

The firm has entered into a definitive agreement with an undisclosed national depository to acquire a pool of mortgage servicing rights backed by Fannie Mae.

A big increase in short- and long-term affordable rental housing demand means the window of opportunity for multifamily and foreclosure-to-rent investors and developers nationwide continues to expand.

A more mature bank-owned foreclosure-to-rental property market is attracting a different type of investor into this new reality and likely changing how business will be done in 2014, an insider says.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is proposing regulations that expand mortgage relief options available to homeowners who owe more than the current market value of their homes and share benefits with investors.

Commercial mortgage-backed securities with balances at or below $10 million dominated transfers to special servicing in 2013 and there is reason to believe the trend will continue, analysts say.

Responding to “steadily improving” demand the Brentwood, Tenn.-based lender is intensifying recruitment efforts in strategic markets.

It will use CoreLogic data to empower research conducted by the Urban Institute’s Housing Finance Policy Center.