Originations

Fitch Ratings has affirmed the long-term issuer default ratings of both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac at AAA.

Highlands Residential Mortgage has named Brian Bennett president of the firm.

The average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage during the week ending July 3 dropped back to 4.29% in Freddie Mac’s holiday-shortened weekly survey.

Overall application volume decreased by 11% from the prior week on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week ended June 28.

Servicing and other remaining risks will limit how much the performance of securitized residential mortgage loans originated during 2005-2008 will benefit from rising home prices.

DataQuick has begun offering through its website data, analytics and research for lenders, originators and investors based on its national property database and other industry resources.

Sabal Financial Group CEO Pat Jackson sees niche business growth opportunity within the third-party servicing space.

They need to know about things like data security, cash flow management and business credit.

Jeffrey Whaley of Sevierville, Tenn., faces five years in prison for his May 2012 federal convictions for wire fraud, bank fraud and money laundering arising from a mortgage fraud scheme.

There were nine Mortgage Industry Equity Composite members which closed lower and eight which closed higher.

Housing bubbles in the future can be prevented or limited by targeting policies to specific metropolitan areas, a research paper from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy claims.

The Bank of the Ozarks will be opening a commercial real estate loan production office in New York.

There is a post on the Mortgage Grapevine by someone looking for help with Fannie Mae’s Desktop Originator.

Home Loan Servicing Solutions and HLSS Management have entered into a senior secured term loan facility agreement with JPMorgan Chase Bank.

Almost 36% of all U.S. new homes sold in May weren’t yet under construction, close to a seven-year high and signaling sustained strength in homebuilding as companies try to catch up.

There has not been a great deal of buzz surrounding the CFPB complaint database thus far, but servicers could gain valuable perspective simply by understanding the process.

In the circles in which I travel, discussions related to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau have not been favorable.

We're hearing that the days of 30-year fixed mortgage rates below 4% may be over.

Ballard Spahr’s long-term expansion goals have now led to the creation of Ballard Spahr Stillman & Friedman in New York.

The employment contract of L. Stephen Smith as chief executive, president and chief operating officer of The PMI Group Inc. expired on June 30 and was not renewed.