Secondary

Freddie Mac is making it easier for investors to track the performance and credit quality of its multifamily mortgage-backed securities known as 'K Certificates.'

Bank of America is gearing up to sell large chunks of its residential servicing portfolio on a regular basis as it continues to whittle down its presence in the mortgage market, according to servicing advisors and investors who have been briefed on the bank's plans.

Wipro Gallagher Solutions has redefined its fulfillment offerings to meet the demands of loan originators and servicers for middle and top-tier lenders.

In his eight years on the Senate Banking Committee, Rick Santorum was an infrequent presence at committee hearings, even though his office was located on the same floor of the Dirksen office building as the committee's hearing room.

Talks to sell Citigroup's high-risk-borrower lender, OneMain, have been put on hold given the depressed macroeconomic environment, according to several media reports.

Macy's announced last week that it will close some of its stores, while opening and replacing others. But Harris Trifon, Deutsche Bank Securities' global head of commercial real estate debt research, said that in terms of CMBS, "the impact of the announcement will be minimal."

As highlighted by the Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate in their recently released annual survey, some legislators are proposing to relieve somewhat the burden of the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act in ways could help real estate investment trust stockholders, and there is a potential development this year that could move such a proposal forward.

My inbox was slammed by emails from readers who said "right on" to my commentary that the White House is (wrongly) using mortgage brokers as a whipping boy for the mortgage crisis. But some larger questions still loom: Does this White House even know what a loan broker is? I would guess not.

Current management of the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac conservatorships is contributing to tight mortgage credit conditions, holding back a recovery in the housing market, according to a Federal Reserve Board official.

Fitch's U.S. commercial mortgage-backed securities report shows 2011 ending with another decrease in delinquencies during December, but notes that office delinquencies are continuing on an upward trajectory.