Servicing

Deutsche Bank AG lost its challenge to a California court ruling that exposes bank trustees to wrongful-eviction claims it says will depress prices in foreclosure sales and spur lawsuits against unsuspecting homebuyers.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau proposed several changes to its biggest mortgage rules on Wednesday which would effectively allow lenders to get more loans defined as "qualified mortgages."

Seven of the largest mortgage servicers say they have trimmed an average of $614 off monthly payments on over 16,000 loans as part of foreclosure prevention required by a regulatory settlement.

The Government Accountability Office urged the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and Federal Reserve Board to monitor how servicers were carrying out foreclosure prevention steps in amended consent orders.

HUD's new regulation may discourage a common type of transaction in which the borrower leaves a spouse off the loan. Ultimately, regulatory clarity could help the reverse mortgage business grow.

Decreasing mortgage origination volumes were the main driver that contributed to a 6% drop in CoreLogic's first-quarter earnings from a year ago.

Barry Sternlicht, chief executive officer of Starwood Capital Group, said investors still have to prove they can efficiently manage scattered rental houses as they expand in a competitive market.

Borrowers' spouses will no longer automatically be required to repay the mortgage when the person listed on the loan dies. The policy change does not help borrowers already in foreclosure.

But for now, Republic Mortgage Insurance Co. will remain in run-off until if and when outside capital can be raised.

As value-add opportunities continue to appear, mortgage brokers can help their clients grow their real estate portfolios by incorporating bridge loans from private lenders into the financing strategy.