Servicing

Fifth Third Bancorp has agreed to pay nearly $85 million to settle fraud charges related to undisclosed defective Federal Housing Administration-insured loans.

Jon Gray, global head of real estate at Blackstone Group, said the private equity firm is "bullish" on rental housing in New York and Miami, two cities where high home prices make purchases more difficult, sending tenants to the landlord's apartments and houses.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have put billions of dollars' worth of distressed mortgage assets up for sale this year, but small buyers acquiring carve-outs of these offerings are driving activity in this niche market.

Walter Investment Management has promoted its vice chairman to CEO, after Mark O'Brien said he will retire from that position.

The Justice Department said that members of the military whose properties were wrongfully foreclosed are eligible to receive a total of $311 million in compensation from five large mortgage servicers.

Mortgage professional hiring and new job appointments for the week ending Oct. 2.

JPMorgan Chase has paid off $3.56 billion of the $4 billion it owes in consumer relief credit as part of a 2013 settlement over marred mortgage-backed securities issued before the crisis.

Ginnie Mae's plans to beef up oversight in response to the growth of nonbank issuers in its ranks will emphasize deeper analysis of firms' capital and liquidity positions rather than requiring issuers to maintain larger cash reserves.

Freddie Mac has taken out another reinsurance policy that transfers the risk that mortgages it insures will default.

Home prices nationwide rose 0.4% from June to July, according to Black Knight Financial Services.