Mortgage defaults

Wall Street speculators are zeroing in on the next U.S. credit crisis: the mall.

First Financial Network is marketing $80 million in performing and nonperforming residential mortgage loans on behalf of the National Credit Union Administration.

Ocwen has reserved $12.5 million to put toward a potential settlement with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

The monthly prepayment rate declined in January, an indication of the effects of higher interest rates.

Ocwen Financial Corp. reduced its net loss in the fourth quarter, a reflection of the company's efforts to reduce expenses.

Republican lawmakers are citing a recent report that delinquencies rose for loans guaranteed by the Federal Housing Administration as a reason to delay a premium cut, but economists suggest the uptick is related to seasonal issues.

The quarter-to-quarter increase in the mortgage delinquency rate is nothing to get excited about — yet, said a member of the Mortgage Bankers Association economics team.

The mortgage servicer will pay at least $25 million in cash and provide some $200 million in debt relief to borrowers to resolve a range of alleged violations. But Ocwen will also be allowed to resume acquiring servicing rights in the nation's largest state.

The Chicago Federal Home Loan Bank experienced a significant jump in mortgage originations in 2016 due to a "re-introduction" of its traditional Mortgage Partnership Finance loan product.

The developers of new loan-modification programs need to streamline application processes and stop making borrowers chase down useless documents.