Originations

While Friday’s jobs report was bad and the 10-year Treasury fell to 1.69%, a spike in refinancings may be short lived, according to a Mortgage Bankers Association economist.

Sales talent combined with strong operations that speed turn times and spur multiple referrals were among the reasons companies that contributed large numbers of highly-ranked loan officers to Origination News’ just-released 2012 survey were able do so, according to executives and LOs from those firms.

The stock market had a down day on Friday because of the jobs report but the 17 members of the Mortgage Industry Equity Composite split nearly evenly in their performance.

The latest housing scorecard suggests compiled housing and program indicators continue to show relief is aiding recovery, and the latter is still fragile.

Fitch Ratings has affirmed the commercial mortgage-backed securities large loan special servicer rating of Brookfield Real Estate Financial Partners at CLLSS2-.

At the Rocky Mountain Lenders Expo in Denver, Frank and Brian interviewed several conference attendees.

A former residential mortgage broker in Wisconsin is looking to get back into originations but would rather do commercial loans instead of residential.

UBS-Barclays Commercial Mortgage Trust has another securitization in the works backed by a pool of $1.29 billion of loans.

Preparing for a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau exam means implementing requirements in the CFPB's 800-plus page exam guide. In other words, there is no crash course.

The number of Redfin customers making tours of homes for sale increased 9% in March over February, versus a 4% increase for the same period in 2012.

Stewart Title Guaranty Co. has created a Trusted Provided Program, where those agencies and attorney agents who pass the screening can show consumers a seal proving they have been vetted and verified.

Hiring by residential builders started to pick up last fall and in November exceeded 10,000 for the first time in years.

Hundreds of servicemembers who lost their homes due to foreclosure between 2006 and 2010 are set to recover over $39 million in monetary relief.

Mortgage bankers we spoke to recently felt there is no new bubble forming, and that what is happening is a normal correction. We hope they are right!

Mortgage companies added 700 full-time employees to their payrolls in February after cutting 3,000 positions in January.

All of the stocks in the Mortgage Industry Equity Composite, except for OceanFirst Financial and MGIC Investment Corp., finished Thursday’s trading ahead of their previous close.

American Realty Capital Properties is now offering 60% of its $9.7 billion offer for Cole Credit Properties Trust III in cash.

The California Department of Real Estate has issued an internal directive to start broker office surveys, which include unannounced and unscheduled visits to brokers' offices.

Moving company Mayflower said residential moves were up 16% in what are historically its slowest months for such activity—January through March.

The Obama administration is making a push for more home loans to be available for people with challenging credit.