Secondary

Commercial and multifamily mortgage debt increased in the first quarter compared to the previous quarter, as mortgage originations remained strong, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

New regulations for credit rating agencies that took effect this week are expected to make mortgage and other asset-backed securities more transparent by requiring broader disclosure of certain due diligence reports.

Access to credit is too tight. New credit-scoring models could increase the number of eligible borrowers in the U.S. without weakening todays underwriting parameters.

Almost seven years after the financial crisis, bond investors are rediscovering their appetite for new debt tied to the housing market.

The homebuilding industry enjoyed its best two months in more than seven years as it headed into its busiest season, even as it began work on fewer houses last month following an April surge.

The decline in foreclosures and short sales is contributing to the dearth of housing inventory, complicating the prospects for home buyers feeling the pinch of tight credit and lenders that need purchase mortgages to supplant refinancing once interest rates rise.

Freddie Mac is planning its fifth risk-sharing transaction of the year.

California Gov. Jerry Brown violated state law by diverting more than $331 million in mortgage settlement funds for uses unrelated to housing, a Superior Court judge ruled.

RealtyMogul.com said it reached agreements for a total of $250 million in capital, which it will use to offer new products.

Radian Group in Philadelphia began a sale of $300 million in senior notes.