Origination

Zeroing in on loan-level risk these days involves a process that essentially aims to reverse-engineer the underwriting problems that caused the recent downturn as market participants, particularly those with a stake in the distressed product space, have increasingly focused on collateral valuations at the micro-market level.

The reverse mortgage industry is poised for a strong 2011. There is a continuing, growing need for reverse mortgages just as new products and lower pricing promise to open up the market to more seniors.

Not only is the Obama Administration pledging to wind down Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac over the next seven years, but its new plan makes it clear that it will constrain the growth of the Federal Housing Administration's single-family loan program.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. put a top executive in charge of managing its home lending business two days after acknowledging to Congress that some military personnel customers faced improper foreclosures.

The percentage of potential first-time homebuyers in California tied a record high in the fourth quarter at 69%, due to low interest rates and continuing price declines.

The most recent jump in the 30-year rate above 5% could stall refinancings but if traditional cyclical expectations hold the economic optimism spurring the increase could bolster purchase volumes.

I suspect that no one will argue that employee trust is a good thing. Sometimes there can be some surprises, though, when questions are asked about what exactly the payoff might be.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development is planning to increase annual premiums for FHA-insured loans by 25 basis points in April.

The performance of high-balance loans is not going help Federal Housing Administration increase its capital and could be risky for the government-backed insurance fund, according to a study published by two George Washington University professors.

Private markets would be the primary source of mortgage credit going forward under the Obama Administration's plan to reform the housing finance system.