Secondary

As the market slows for post-downturn, private-label, residential mortgage-backed securities—known as RMBS 2.0—an industry group thinks it's time to start preparing for version 3.0.

The Senate Banking Committee passed major legislation to overhaul the housing finance system on Thursday.

The dim prospects for Congress doing anything to overhaul the system dominated by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac leaves a host of big questions about what happens to the mortgage sector going forward.

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley reiterated calls Wednesday for the Federal Housing Finance Agency to allow Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to offer principal reductions to distressed borrowers and to participate in nonprofit home buyback programs.

Mayor Bill de Blasio's 10-year plan to build and preserve affordable housing units is credit neutral for New York City, according to Moody's Investors Service.

The government-sponsored enterprises just went a long way toward encouraging lenders to make more loans to borrowers with lower credit scores.

In a wide-ranging speech on Tuesday, new FHFA Director Mel Watt said he would not weigh in on the housing finance reform debate percolating in Congress, while also detailing what changes he plans to make at the agency, including encouraging more access to credit.

There will be enough grist for the NPL mill for at least three more years, industry insiders say.

Freddie Mac, which along with Fannie Mae has forced home lenders to buy back tens of billions of dollars of flawed mortgages, said the companies are loosening rules that made banks more cautious about extending credit.

The buyouts will lead to prepayments of 5% or more for some holders of mortgage-backed securities. The loans were originated from 2005 to 2008, the heyday of interest-only loans.