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Pretax profits fell by 28.4 basis points in the fourth quarter for independent mortgage bankers due to rising operating expenses, according to accounting firm Richey May's quarterly trend report.

Pacific Investment Management Co. accused American International Group Inc. of misleading investors about "colossal" losing bets on unregulated credit-default swaps and subprime debt before the 2008 financial crisis.

FirstKey Lending is securitizing $241 million of fixed-rate loans it made to landlords for the purchase of buy-to-rent, single-family homes, according to a presale from Kroll Bond Ratings Agency.

Blackstone Group's latest sale of bonds backed by rental homes found robust demand from investors, particularly the riskiest portions of the offering, as the market prepares for a new breed of the securities.

Independent mortgage banks and mortgage subsidiaries of banks saw their production profits rise in the fourth quarter compared to a year earlier, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

A CMBS backed by 76 mortgages that are in turn secured by 91 properties is coming to market, according to presales by Fitch Ratings and Kroll Bond Rating Agency.

Home prices in 20 U.S. cities appreciated at a faster pace in the year ended in January, indicating the residential real estate market continues to firm.

Some nonbank issuers of mortgage-backed securities are wrestling with capital pressures, and Ginnie Mae has cooperated with their efforts to sell chunks of mortgage-servicing-revenue streams to investors.

The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals has issued an industrywide call to improve access to affordable housing.

Mel Watt, the former North Carolina lawmaker, has earned praised for his cautious approach to guiding the future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. But critics say he is making it even more difficult to craft a system without them.