Servicing

Housing affordability pressure combined with tightening rental housing markets “may begin to lead a modest recovery” in housing construction this year, according to the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University’s “State of the Nation’s Housing 2011” report.

Negative equity risk remains high. CoreLogic data show a slight decrease in the percentage of mortgages with negative equity is not significant once the negative effect of home equity extraction and sluggish economic recovery forecasts are factored in.

Senior mortgage bond holders that are being serviced by Litton Loan Servicing could be in for some cash flow disruptions because of the Ocwen deal, according to a new report from Moody’s Investor Servicer.

The Federal Reserve’s recent sales of Maiden Lane II assets culled from AIG continue to influence broader structured products markets and subprime mortgage assets, according to a new report from Interactive Data.

Two top executives at the now defunct Taylor, Bean & Whitaker were sentenced late last week for their involvement in a $2.9 billion fraud scheme that brought down the top ranked nonbank lender, and its chief warehouse backer, Colonial Bank.

Fitch late last week downgraded the ratings of nine mortgage servicers citing the growing burden of managing delinquent and defaulted loans amid a climate of "heightened regulatory scrutiny."

By early July the Federal Housing Finance Agency is expected to release its long-awaited proposal on changing servicing compensation, offering the industry three initial options, according to servicing advisors close to the matter.

Radian Guaranty Inc., Philadelphia, reported an increase of just over 8% in the number of new notices of delinquency between April and May, while the number of cures fell 13%.

Ally Financial Inc., the bank holding company that controls the nation’s fifth largest residential lender, has delayed – for now – its initial public offering, according to industry advisors who do business with the company.

Fear of falling house prices is one reason a Republican congressman has advanced a GSE reform bill that provides government guarantees on privately issued MBS.