Servicing

After several weeks of application declines, it appears that low interest rates are finally causing an increase in new business.

"Too big to fail" has already failed some of the country's top mortgage banks, and it should mean the "grow or die" strategy that historically has had a strong hold in Wall Street needs some reconsidering.

It's a concern that years have passed and new-issue private-label RMBS are still pretty elusive. But with lower loan limits approaching this fall and other securitization alternatives moving forward there is more momentum in this area than some think.

Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., is considering bipartisan legislation that would gradually lower the loan limits on federally backed mortgages, a move that could pave the way to private lending flourishing again.

Bank of America Corp. chief executive Brian Moynihan's heavily anticipated speech Monday fell short of the hype, but it was enough to ease tensions.

Roughly 11 million residential properties – representing 22.5% of homes nationwide -- were in some type of negative equity position at June 30, a miniscule improvement from the first quarter, according to new figures compiled by CoreLogic.

Total Mortgage Services, a fast growing nonbank lender based in New England, has received final investor approval from Fannie Mae to service the GSE's loans, a move that sets the stage for the firm to hold MSRs.

The Obama administration is proposing to use $15 billion of government money for "land bank" opportunities to help communities with large concentrations of distressed commercial and residential properties.

The nation's top five ranked servicers continued to lose market share in the second quarter – compared to the same period a year ago – as refinancings and concerns about capital rules and MSRs affected their decisions to retain receivables.

A federal judge this week ruled that the court-appointed trustee overseeing the liquidation of Thornburg Mortgage, Santa Fe, can move forward with a lawsuit against Barclays Capital alleging the investment banker made improper margin calls that helped drive the jumbo lender/servicer into bankruptcy.