Origination

According to a new national report released a few weeks ago by the Departments of Housing and Urban Development and Veterans Affairs homelessness among veterans decreased 12% between January 2010 and January 2011. And while these decreasing numbers are encouraging, the number of homeless veterans remains astounding - and to me - heartbreaking.

Stonegate Mortgage Corp. has hired former Irwin Mortgage Corp. executive John F. Macke as EVP of capital markets in line with growth plans that include the introduction of nonagency jumbos this year.

After slowing for the end-of-year holidays, application volume increased by 4.5% on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week ended Jan. 6, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. The results for the current survey as well as the previous survey include adjustments to account for the Christmas and New Year's Day holidays.

Total Mortgage Services, Milford, Conn., Wednesday named Neil Bader as its new national retail sales manager.

Banks and thrifts that play in the warehouse lending space had $29.8 billion of commitments on their books at the end of September, a 26% decline from the same period a year ago, according to new survey figures compiled by National Mortgage News.

WASHINGTON—Two senior Federal Reserve officials called on policymakers to take steps quickly to help ease the pain of the housing market to assist ongoing efforts to rescue the U.S. economy.

National Mortgage News (December 19) asks, “Can Regulators Prevent the Next Systemic Risk Crisis?” Probably not.

Michael Williams, the president and CEO of Fannie Mae, announced plans to step down as soon as a successor can be appointed, according to a company filing issued Tuesday to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Insurance giant MetLife, Inc. Tuesday afternoon shocked the market, saying it would exit the business of producing new “forward” residential loans through its residential lending division, MetLife Home Loans.

PHH, the nation's largest private mortgage company, has been notified by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that it is the subject of an investigation into potentially improper reinsurance payments.