Paul Muolo

Loan officers and brokers are none too thrilled with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s 37-page proposal on altering the way loan officers, brokers, and lenders are compensated on all mortgage transactions.

Let's assume that the recent downdraft in rates won't get any worse and then ask this very basic question: will those buying MSRs at today's rock bottom prices look like geniuses when the smoke finally clears?

Wells Fargo & Co. is in the market with a $200 million package of nonperforming residential loans, according to investors that have been briefed about the deal.

Based on the comments appearing on our blogs and message boards, loan officers and mortgage brokers are overwhelmingly Republican. They don’t like too much regulation and given what’s transpired because of Dodd-Frank (regarding loan officer compensation) they’re fighting an uphill battle concerning how much money they can earn.

Based on the comments appearing on our blogs and message boards, loan officers and mortgage brokers are overwhelmingly Republican. They don’t like too much regulation and given what’s transpired because of Dodd-Frank (regarding loan officer compensation) they’re fighting an uphill battle concerning how much money they can earn.

Residential lenders will continue to enjoy high gain-on-sale margins during the remainder of the second quarter, but those profits will be down compared to 1Q—which was exceptional—according to new research from Credit Suisse.

The other day a mortgage recruiter made a blunt statement to us: “Wholesale lending is really hot right now.” Of course, given what’s happened to the mortgage business the past few years and all the blame being placed on brokers for crappy loan quality, such a statement might be taken with a grain of salt.

Mortgage delinquencies continued on their downward path in the first quarter with 7.4% of all loans considered past due, the lowest reading since the third quarter of 2008, according to new figures compiled by the Mortgage Bankers Association.

When Residential Capital Corp. filed for bankruptcy protection earlier this week it left behind a trail of unsecured creditors with claims totaling well over $1 billion, according to court documents.

Allonhill, a mortgage due diligence provider that two weeks ago lost a consulting contract with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, has given layoff notices to dozens of employees, according to industry consultants who were briefed on the matter.

At some point the White House might finally understand that the regulatory pendulum has swung much too far in the other direction.

Residential lenders funded $462 billion of home mortgages in the first quarter, the industry’s best showing since the fourth quarter of 2010.

Here's a pop quiz for mortgage professionals everywhere: name a foreign bank that successfully bought a U.S. mortgage banking operation—or grew one from scratch—and actually did well with it.

The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s reasoning in an amicus brief and broke ranks with other courts in ruling on a borrower’s right to rescind and void a mortgage contract.

Newcastle Investment Corp. said it will be a partner in Nationstar’s plan to purchase $374 billion of servicing rights from Residential Capital Corp. by investing upwards of $300 million in the “excess” servicing strip on the deal.

But what does the eventual resolution of ResCap really mean? Answer: A new, stronger competitor (Nationstar) could rise from the ashes. (If Dan Mudd was still at Fortress -- which owns a piece of Nationstar -- he might be considered the “Comeback Kid.”)

Although Nationstar has agreed to buy most of Residential Capital Corp.’s mortgage assets, the sale is by no means a done deal, according to ResCap CEO Tom Marano.

The government controlled Ally Financial Monday morning said its board has voted to place Residential Capital LLC into Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection while it finalizes a deal to sell substantially all of its assets to Nationstar Mortgage for $4 billion. In total, 50 ResCap affiliates are affected by the filing.

Is the mortgage industry in the throes of what might turn out to be a lengthy and profitable recovery? Let’s look at the signs: Fannie Mae just posted a hefty profit, Freddie Mac has earned money on an operating basis for at least two quarters in a row, many lenders are enjoying strong profit margins and the HARP program appears to be humming along. Optimists might have reason to pop some champagne.

Hilltop Holdings of Dallas, a property and casualty insurer, has agreed to buy fast-growing mortgage lender PlainsCapital in a cash-and-stock deal valued at $537 million.