Secondary

It was a good first quarter at the nation’s second, third and fourth largest title insurance underwriters as all three reported improved earnings over the same period in 2012.

Remodeling activity is expected to gain steam over the next 12 months as more and more owners regain some of the equity they lost in their homes during the recession.

Freddie Mac purchased nearly $52 billion in mortgage loans and securities in March, up 21% from the prior month.

Loans in commercial mortgage-backed securities conduits in the first quarter had stable leverage and their debt service coverage ratios rose.

Redwood Trust has issued five private-label jumbo mortgage securitizations during the first four months of this year totaling $2.7 billion.

Pacific Investment Management Co. expects the Fed to start slowing its debt buying by September, before ending the expansion of its balance sheet early next year.

Standard & Poor’s and Ambac Financial Group lost a bid to dismiss a negligence claim in a lawsuit alleging they conspired to force California local governments to buy bond insurance they didn’t need.

Standard & Poor's called the civil allegations in the Justice Department’s suit a “stretch” that were based on loosely connected charges with little specificity.

Increasing home values will have only a limited benefit for residential mortgage-backed securities loss severities.

Discover Financial Services originated nearly $1 billion in direct mortgages during the first quarter of 2013.