Originations

The aggregate value of loans collateralized by commercial MBS increased 50 basis points in February from the month prior, continuing an upward trend, said DebtX, a Boston-based loan sales advisor.

The average interest rate for a 30-year fixed rate loan fell to 3.99% for the week ending March 29, compared to 4.08% the week prior, according to new figures compiled by Freddie Mac.

Coming off two straight profitable quarters and flush with capital from its recent public stock offering, HomeStreet Bank, a top ranked mortgage lender in the Seattle area, is back in the good graces of its regulators.

The House of Representatives this week passed legislation that protects confidential information banks and thrifts submit to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau - but it appears nonbanks operating in certain states are not covered under the language.

The firm’s Mortgage Fraud Risk Report found that incidents of employment and income fraud increased 14% during 2011. This follows an upward trend seen over the last two years in which these fraud activities occurred 45% of the time.

Although Wells Fargo & Co. won't talk about its 'exclusionary' list of third-party lenders, correspondent loan buyers doing business with some of the firms say they wound up on the list mostly because of buyback disputes with the megabank.

Continuing its expansion in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., Eagle Bancorp, Bethesda, Md., has opened a pair of residential loan offices in Maryland and Virginia.

The largest banks are charging relatively high interest rates to borrowers that qualify for a government refinance program, according to analysts, who say that the trend bodes well for mortgage profits in the second quarter.

Allowing the controversial Transaction Account Guarantee program to expire on schedule this year could provide a critical boost to the Federal Home Loan Banks, according to a new argument by opponents of the government guarantee.

The National Association of Realtors reports that sales prices are continuing to fall, from an average of nearly $200,000 five years ago to around $172,000 today. A decline in average sales prices translates into a decline in average loan amounts - and since most mortgage loan originators are paid a basis points commission on the loan amount - that means less money for you.

Builder Meritage Homes Corp. has priced $300 million in senior unsecured notes due 2022 to qualified institutional buyers under Rule 144A.

Stonegate Mortgage, Indianapolis, is looking to help banks deal with balance sheet volatility regarding mortgages, while at the same build its servicing portfolio. So it is starting a financial institutions channel to purchase loans on both a wholesale and correspondent basis.

Genworth Financial said its U.S. mortgage insurance unit is offering a relocation product with discounted MI premiums to help credit unions expand their market and pursue business from members relocated by corporate and military employers.

First American Financial Corp. chairman emeritus and title insurance industry veteran Donald P. Kennedy has died at age 93.

The headline of today's daily 'What We're Hearing' blast sounds like junk mail that you might see in your email inbox. But rest assured, certain mortgage REITs are paying hefty dividends these days. At the top of the list is Annaly Capital Management, which has a 13.5% dividend/yield rate.

Among the next steps in the National Reverse Mortgage Lenders Association's Borrow With Confidence efforts will be a story-telling campaign, with seniors describing their experience with and benefits from the product, officials from the group said at its Eastern regional meeting in New York.

The House Financial Services Committee Tuesday approved a bill to enhance the FHA's authority to police bad lenders after rejecting an amendment that would have reduced the agency's loan guarantees.

Raj Date, the deputy director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, assured financial industry representatives Tuesday that the agency is carefully weighing access to consumer credit as it finalizes the qualified mortgage rule.

Appraisals are costing bankers more money and, in some cases, business. Recent regulation has altered the fee structure and required more independence between bankers and appraisers.

Although rates have been trending downward this week, new mortgage applications fell by almost 3% for the week ending March 23, according to new figures compiled by the Mortgage Bankers Association.