Paul Davis

The Dallas company will pay nearly $54 million for a 49% stake in a lender that operates in 10 states.

The merger would create a company with nearly 400 branches, 87 loan production offices and $87 billion of assets.

The Dallas company agreed to sell MSRs tied to $14 billion of mortgages to PHH Mortgage.

The Arizona company will pay $1 billion for the parent of AmeriHome Mortgage, which manages a $99 billion mortgage servicing portfolio.

The California company acquired Civic Financial Services, which makes loans to residential real estate investors.

The company also reported a large fourth-quarter loss that reflected a significant increase in its loan-loss provision.

Amerant Mortgage includes several former bankers from City National Bank of Florida in Miami.

The investments, part of a post-merger effort to wring out more profits, include new commercial and mortgage lending platforms.

The bank agreed to acquire A Mortgage Boutique, which operates in six states.

Lenders pushed back against the notion that city dwellers' pandemic-driven flight to suburbia would hurt them. They say fewer landlords have sought deferrals as vacancy rates remain low and rent collections have stabilized.

The bank said the move will give it more flexibility for raising capital.

The company, which recently completed an audit, set aside funds to cover issues tied with a lending program it discontinued last year. The move cleared the way for Sterling to file an overdue annual report with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The company said the sale will provide more consistent financial results and allow it to redeploy funds to support other businesses.

Thomas O'Brien will take the helm at Sterling Bancorp, which is dealing with internal control issues and probes by the OCC and Justice Department into its mortgage operations.

The North Carolina company will hold onto the loans after the Fed's decision to slash interest rates.

Howard Bancorp is transferring its mortgage business, along with VAMortgage.com, to a limited liability company formed by former managers in the division

Provident Bank in Amesbury, Mass., has entered warehouse lending after buying a business from People’s United Financial in Bridgeport, Conn.

HomeTrust Bancshares in Asheville, N.C., sold a portfolio of residential mortgages as part of a balance sheet restructuring, with plans to sell more.

The company will hold off on making loans under the Advantage Loan program as it conducts an audit and implements new policies and procedures.

The Dallas company said it should be able to avoid restating past financial results. It also reported higher quarterly earnings helped by increased mortgage activity.