Originations

In our past few articles, we have been discussing the one sentence that will generate more clients for you. Here’s the sentence: People will do anything for those who encourage their dreams, justify their failures, allay their fears, confirm their suspicions and help them throw rocks at their enemies.

Thanks to lower interest rates, mortgage application volume rose 13% for the week ending February 18, according to new figures compiled by the Mortgage Bankers Association.

The percentage of working Americans who say they are saving enough for retirement fell five percentage points between February 2010 and 2011, a survey found.

Yearend financial reports by several Federal Home Loan Banks show these "other" housing GSEs are returning to profitability, while experiencing a lower level of losses on their holdings of private-label mortgage-backed securities.

It appears that home values may have further to fall – a lot further, according to Yale economist Robert Shiller, whose name is attached to the Case-Shiller home price index.

Roughly 708 foreclosures and 3,370 housing 'short sales' are on the market in Orange County, Calif., accounting for 38% of available homes to purchase, according to figures compiled by Altera Real Estate.

PSM Holdings Inc., Roswell, N.M., is purchasing United Community Mortgage Corp., a mortgage banker with offices in New York and New Jersey, for an undisclosed sum.

Mortgage bankers that are members of the Lenders One cooperative funded $90 billion of single-family loans in 2010, a 17% jump from the prior year, and its best showing ever.

Florida is still largely in the economic doldrums: more people are moving out than in, foreclosures are still in the nosebleed territory, and new homebuilding is anemic. So now isn’t exactly the best time for a mortgage firm to make inroads there. Or is it?

When things get tough in the mortgage industry, the tough pick up the phone and call their M&A advisor and try to find a deal to get them out of this industry.

Marketers of all types have had to deal with a number of new rules regarding customer contact in recent years. Now, online marketers might have to deal with a “do not track” list if the Federal Trade Commission gets its way.

WASHINGTON—The Federal Reserve’s compensation rule is really putting branch managers over a barrel. They may have to decide whether they want to be a manager or a loan originator. They can’t be both under the Fed’s Truth in Lending Act rule that goes into effect April 1 and still share in the profits of their branch.

Many sales trainers talk about utilizing time management philosophy and techniques in order to maximize your productivity. But Anthony Signorelli begs to differ.

Home prices fell in December for a fifth consecutive month and values are down 2.4% from the same period a year earlier, according to the new Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller house price index.

The Government National Mortgage Association's MBS program has experienced unprecedented growth the past two years and now the agency wants to nearly triple its allotment for salaries to $30 million, allowing it to hire additional staff while reducing its dependence on outside contractors.

Wells Fargo & Co. on Friday agreed to refund up to $10 million of mortgage fees to eligible military veterans who refinanced their residential loans with the bank or its affiliates.

The Federal Housing Administration has landed two big lenders to adopt its principal reduction program which helps underwater homeowners refinance into new FHA-insured loans.

The Treasury Department has tapped a former Wall Street managing director to be in charge of the research, markets and regulation arm of the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Mortgage insurer Triad Guaranty, which is in "wind down" mode, earned $27 million in the fourth quarter and $132 million for the full year, making it (so far) the only publicly traded MI in the U.S. to post positive results in 4Q.

Wintrust Financial Corp., Lake Forest, Ill., said it has purchased "certain" assets and liabilities of mortgage banking firm Woodfield Planning Corp. of Rolling Meadows for an undisclosed sum.