Originations

Interest rates jumped, pipeline pressure fell, and profit margins on mortgage production appear to have retreated in the fourth quarter.

Recovery in the mortgage insurance sector will continue during 2011, as the sector eyes sustained profitability in 2012, according to an analyst at Credit Suisse.

In November U.S. home prices declined for the fourth month in a row, a sign that housing markets are still on shaky ground, according to new figures released by CoreLogic, Santa Ana, Calif.

The 30-day delinquency rate on 'open end' home equity lines of credit fell 7 basis points to 1.74% in the third quarter, reaching a low not seen since 2008, according to new figures released by the American Bankers Association.

Strict mortgage underwriting standards, a high foreclosure rate, elevated inventories of unsold homes, and slow job growth are "standing in the way of a clear turn in the housing market," according to Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank president Dennis Lockhart.

Republic Bancorp, Louisville, Ky., plans to enter the warehouse lending arena by the second quarter and recently hired a top executive from National City Bancorp to manage the business.

2010 was the "worst year ever" for new home sales, according to David Crowe, chief economist at the National Association of Home Builders, which is holding its annual convention and trade show this week in Orlando.

Even though Keefe, Bruyette & Woods predicts a 14% decline in mortgage origination volume, the amount of new private mortgage insurance written should increase in 2011 over 2010, in large part because of the Federal Housing Administration program pricing change.

No matter what your view is on New Year's resolutions—last week I related part of an interview I saw with Suze Orman on the topic—the best way to success is to set achievable, realistic goals.

What will 2011 hold for the mortgage industry? It is shaping up to be a poor year for originations, a big year for servicing, and a key year for the future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Capital Markets Cooperative and the Bank of Internet have formed an alliance to offer a proprietary jumbo product that the bank has just started offering on a correspondent basis.

The expansion plans at Foundation Financial Group continue on pace as its founder steps back from the chief executive role and moves more into a strategy and planning position.

A foundation representing investors in the United States as well as three other parts of the globe said it is taking a shareholder fraud action in a Utrecht civil court related to a major acquisition by Fortis NV, a European company that had been hard hit by U.S. subprime exposures and subsequently went through a government bailout.

Synovus Financial Corp., Columbus, Ga., said it plans to cut 850 jobs and close 39 branches in 2011 as part of ongoing cost cuts at the depository.

Property valuation technology developer Veros said its VeroSELECT valuation management platform has been updated to interface with the Uniform Collateral Data Portal, the still-pending technology platform the government-sponsored enterprises will use to accept appraisal data on mortgages they purchase.

Credit Union Mortgage Association (CUMA) has closed its first HarmonyLoan, a mortgage that allows consumers to reset their interest rate with the click of a mouse, foregoing additional closing costs and lengthy processing.

Some yearend bank deals give new meaning to the abbreviations M&A and CRE: More Anxiety about Crummy Real Estate loans.

Just a few weeks before the start of this year’s Mortgage Bankers Association annual convention in Atlanta, Bank of America delivered the devastating news that it would be exiting the wholesale channel. Yet, our panel of experts gathered during the show was relatively bullish on the future of the third party origination business. They believe there is a need for the mortgage broker to fill a niche in the market that the banks will not or cannot meet.

Linda Smith-Ellsworth has been through quite a few business cycles, but remains a top producer through her dedication to her clients.If you have been a part of the mortgage business since 1969, you have seen more than a few up and down cycles. For Linda Smith-Ellsworth, who was on our top producers list for 2009 at No. 21, 2010 has been a year of rebuilding.

WASHINGTON—The National Community Reinvestment Coalition alleges that lenders are blocking blue-collar workers and minorities from getting Federal Housing Administration loans by erecting high credit score thresholds. But the industry has a message for the nonprofit: “We’re just trying to protect ourselves.”