Servicing

Regulatory pressure is expected to be as strong as ever next year when mortgage lenders and servicers will test new waters in compliance implementation, process improvements and business strategies. Market veterans find regulatory compliance risks are higher almost in every area of the business.

Yearend performance of securitized commercial mortgage loans is not yet showing significant improvement.

Affordability issues will reduce the stock of potential homebuyers.

Even though home price appreciation was up 5.2% on a yearly basis, it still is a much slower pace than the 7% figure that was seen over the summer.

Refinancings comprise less than 60% of loan volume in October.

The rate of home price growth increased rapidly early in 2013, and after a brief summer pause, home prices have again picked up as we near the end of the year.

Mel Watt, set to become director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, is making both agency and non-agency MBS investors nervous.

Following new legislation issued by the CFPB earlier in November, the mortgage industry’s voluntary standards organization has extended the comment period beyond yearend 2013.

Colonial Savings installed new mortgage software and consequently tripled loan volume, cut costs and improved compliance without reducing headcount.

More builders are getting new single-family construction permits amid home sales declines, which one insider sees as a natural market adjustment that will not inhibit the housing market recovery.