Origination

Loan quality has been historically strong since the downturn, but it could be peaking. There are anecdotal signs that loan quality has been loosening slightly. Some say that since it has been so historically tight, that may not be a bad thing, but it could indicate the peak is nearing.

This week the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released correspondence clarifying (or rather correcting) the Federal Reserve Board's interpretation of the LO comp rules. In previous conference calls, various Federal Reserve employees stated that the LO comp rules prohibited profit of loans from having direct impact whatsoever on an LO's compensation.

The Federal Housing Administration is back-pedaling on its new underwriting requirements for borrowers with on-going credit disputes and the agency has delayed the effective date until July.

Non-agency MBS investors should look for bonds with smaller loan sizes in a structure that is levered to severity, said Amherst Securities Group analysts in a recent report.

Oftentimes, mortgage business owners have a confused picture of what marketing really is. They see it as some kind of gamble. Sometimes it pays off; other times it is a waste of money. But that just isn't the case. You can use marketing to consistently grow your mortgage income - and it has nothing to do with luck.

Jim Bane has a very simple business philosophy, one which has enabled him to be a successful mortgage loan originator.

A federal court has frozen assets at five California companies that are being investigated for trying to scam U.S. homeowners facing foreclosure. The Federal Trade Commission says it has opened an investigation into companies, which charged its customers up to $10,000 for legal advice and forensic audits.

Members of the Federal Home Loan Bank System are starting to take a new look at the old mortgage purchase programs that were developed back in the 1990s.

The annual Federal Housing Administration mortgage insurance premium officially increase April 9 to 120 basis points for loans with terms greater than 15 years and loan-to-value ratios less than or equal to 95%.

Mortgage companies added 3,000 full-time employees to their payrolls in February, according to Friday's jobs report.