Financial institutions

An expected rush of refinancings of Federal Housing Administration loans could force some mortgage servicers to take writedowns in the first and second quarters, but they have more incentive than ever to keep borrowers in the FHA program instead of letting rivals lure away their customers.

Proposals for stiffer capital requirements will reduce the number of mortgage servicers, which in turn will cut access to credit, mortgage-company executives said at an industry conference on Wednesday.

Weaker appreciation in the low end of the housing market, combined with higher costs to originate mortgages tied to new regulatory compliance obligations, make smaller loans less attractive for lenders.

Homebuilding company TRI Pointe Group and nonbank national retail mortgage lender imortgage have partnered to create a new origination business.

Mortgage banking and servicing company 1st Alliance Lending is introducing a new national mortgage lending platform

New Residential Investment Corp. posted net income of $54 million in the fourth quarter, as the company gears up to close its acquisition of Home Loan Servicing Solutions.

Nationstar Mortgage Holdings managed to improve its annual results despite a sharp decrease in income during the fourth quarter.

Walter Investment Management Corp. revealed in both its fourth-quarter earnings release and a separate annual report filing with the SEC a potential settlement regarding a FTC and CFPB investigation into its Green Tree subsidiary’s servicing practices.

Working as a team with all stakeholders is the only way to successfully maintain a foreclosed property and see it through conveyance to the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Some nonbanks feel capital requirements discourage diversification among market participants and their participation in the market because they put more constraints on their financial options and bar smaller players.

Genesis Capital, which lends to investors in distressed single-family properties, will soon have a fresh source of leads for new business.

The Mortgage Bankers Association's annual servicing conference opened with a plea from Quicken Loans CEO Bill Emerson for executives to remember their duty beyond collecting loan payments from borrowers.

The founders of FBC Mortgage have agreed to take over the mortgage lender as part of Stifel Financial's purchase of Sterne, Agee & Leach.

The Real Estate Roundtable's quarterly Sentiment Index dipped slightly during the first quarter of 2015.

W.J. Bradley's method for retention relies on cutting edge data and analytics; leverages the strength of their retail branch network; and borrows common-sense advice from the father of self-help.

Here's a preview of some of the most interesting and important presentations scheduled at this year's MBA Servicing Conference, as selected by the editors of National Mortgage News.

Mortgage servicer PHH Corp. posted a net loss in the fourth quarter, as its mortgage production and servicing segments both struggled as the year ended.

Foreclosures and delinquencies may seem like problems from the past, but servicers are still struggling with a massive backlog of distressed loans and a return to normalcy is at least two years away, if not longer.

Cherry Hill Mortgage Investment in Moorestown, N.J., has agreed to acquire Aurora Financial in Marlton, N.J.

NewDay Financial has agreed to a $2 million fine after the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau alleged that the mortgage lender engaged in an improper kickback scheme and used deceptive marketing tactics targeted at veterans.