Origination

Whether you like it are not, you are a manager. The only question: Are you a good manager?

The Federal Home Loan Bank System has made a pitch to the National Credit Union Administration that could tap the credit union movement for tens of billions of dollars in new funds.

Residential real estate markets "improved somewhat" in most parts of the U.S., especially in home sales, according to the Federal Reserve's Beige Book report released Wednesday afternoon.

It would appear that the future is starting to brighten for loan brokers, at least according to new figures released by the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System, which shows an increase in the number of state-licensed LOs and mortgage companies.

The Obama administration's plan to refinance underwater borrowers with private-label mortgages was supposed to be dead on arrival -- but it appears Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama, the ranking Republican on the Banking Committee, wants to hear more.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s quarterly bank earnings report shows bank mortgage portfolios increased 1.4%, to $1.88 trillion, at the end of the fourth quarter of 2011.

ClosingCorp has introduced a business-to-consumer online loan cost estimate calculator that includes a lead generation component, and is offering it in conjunction with real estate Internet sites.

Residential loan applications fell 0.3% for the week ending February 24 while refinancings continued to dominate the business, according to new figures compiled by the Mortgage Bankers Association.

We keep hearing the same chorus week after week from politicians and regulators: we want private capital to return to the mortgage business. In a nutshell, they want private investors to play the role of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac - that of buying and guaranteeing loans.

Fannie Mae continued its money losing ways in the fourth quarter, posting a net loss of $2.4 billion for the period and $16.9 billion for the year. In 2010 it lost $14 billion.