Secondary

Among its major accomplishments in the past year were an update to its Reference Model, the foundation for most of its standards.

MSR trading is picking up a little from its seasonal lull but values may not get as high as they did last year, some experts say.

The U.S. Supreme Court turned away four appeals from shareholders of the government-sponsored enterprises who said they were entitled to compensation after the Treasury collected more than $100 billion in profits from the government-sponsored enterprises.

The impact of a weakening economy on quarterly performance will become clearer by the second week of January as banks begin to report fourth-quarter earnings.

The sector is not immune to the same economic instability that affects the single-family residential market, the Mortgage Bankers Association said.

Other investors could step into the breach as depositories depart, and the strain on nonconforming borrowers might not be that bad, recent forecasts suggest.

The change allows for more accessible financing options for a greater number of listings, but not all of those potential buyers qualify for conforming mortgages, Zillow said.

The government bond insurer, an arm of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, confirmed no borrowers were impacted by the transfer of servicing from the bankrupt Reverse Mortgage Funding.

Special purpose credit programs, down payment assistance and potential mortgage insurance premium cuts came into focus over the past year.

Condominiums have long been a staple for anyone seeking a slice of Florida real estate on a budget, but safety legislation that passed earlier this year in the wake of the deadly Surfside building collapse could plunge the condo market into turmoil.