Servicing

Average daily volume in the CMBS market in December is down versus November, according to data reported by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority's Trade Reporting and Compliance Engine or TRACE.

The Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma’s tribal mortgage program has passed $100 million in originations through more than 1,000 loans, a number unthinkable even a dozen years ago.

House prices fell 1.2% in October after falling 0.7% in September according to new figures released by Standard & Poor's Tuesday morning.

Post Properties Inc., an Atlanta-based real estate investment trust, has prepaid six multi-family mortgage loans held by Freddie Mac and will record a $7 million loss on the transaction.

It's time for eggnog and yearend lists—top news stories, newsmakers, stuff like that. But what about the great mortgage rumors that got away? Here lay five stories/rumors that went nowhere:

KB Home's midyear decision to transition its mortgage marketing agreement to a new lender caused significant delays in the Los Angeles-based homebuilder's ability to close home sales in the last quarter of its fiscal year.

Freddie Mac purchased $38.1 billion of mortgages in November, a 12% gain from the month prior, and its best acquisition month since February, according to new figures released by the GSE.

Fitch Ratings this week downgraded its servicer rating on Ocwen Financial Corp., Atlanta, questioning its rapid expansion in servicing contracts and voicing doubts about its heavy use of offshore workers.

Only a couple of comments in this holiday week, but they are good ones. The first corrects some loose language in a Chicago ordinance, while the second identifies with the prevailing mood in the industry.

What would Congress do if it didn't have housing (and mortgage banking) to kick around? Who knows, really. Passing the payroll tax break extension was a good idea. It puts extra money in the pockets of potential mortgage customers who might use the cash to finance a home.