Originations

Again and again collateral risk industry concerns deriving from differences between appraisals and broker price opinions, and related fraud, are being solved by hybrid valuation options that some say are making more headway in the market.

Fixed-rate mortgages as well as the five-year adjustable rate loan tracked by Freddie Mac continue to reach record lows.

We all know the one thing that is certain in life is change. And change is coming in a big way to the reverse mortgage industry. How you prepare and how you handle change tells a lot about you and your future in the business.

Applications to refinance an existing mortgage continue to dominate the residential finance landscape, accounting for almost 83% of all new business, according to figures compiled by the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Jumbo loan production—in particular non-GSE jumbos—has increased nicely the past few quarters, but it appears that hopes for a revival in the securitization market for these mortgages may be stillborn.

PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. has renewed an agreement with Citizen Action and the Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey that will bring nearly $1 billion in housing investment to the state’s low-income communities over the next three years.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will require homeowners with "green energy" loans from municipalities to pay them off when refinancing their mortgages — unless the borrowers don't have enough equity, in which case the green liens can stay.

Rising costs for long-term care, coupled with lower home values, has resulted in a greater bite into a senior's home today than it did five years ago, an insurance agency that specializes in long-term care products said.

The outlook for commercial real estate loans that collateralize CMBS continues to improve due to increased activity in the CMBS new issue market and strong demand for distressed CRE loans in the secondary market, according to one full-service loan sale advisor for commercial debt.

MetLife Bank plans to officially launch its new warehouse lending division in the fourth quarter and is in the process of hiring between four and six additional staffers for the business.

Mortgage bankers originated $25.9 billion of Federal Housing Administration-backed mortgages in July, down nearly 2% from June, according to new figures released by the agency.

Perhaps tipping its hand on how the fair-value fight is going, a key trade group is shifting the industry's line of attack.

As the Federal Reserve Board and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency take over supervision of thrifts and their holding companies, S&Ls have grown increasingly scared about a possible crackdown on their business.

Mortgage bankers increased their jumbo loan production by almost 60% in the second quarter, according to a sample of lending figures compiled by National Mortgage News.

Commercial and saving banks originated $133.8 billion of single-family loans using the retail channel in the second quarter, a 10% increase from the prior period, according to new figures released by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

While questions about the rights of commercial mortgage-backed securities investors in bankruptcy cases and other risks persist, there are offsetting trends that continue to drive the securitized commercial mortgage market toward a comeback, according to Mark Edelstein, chairman of Morrison & Foerster's real estate finance group.

WASHINGTON—After months of silence, residential lenders have finally received some good news from the Rural Housing Service.

Home prices rose 4.4% in the second quarter on a sequential basis, erasing a 2.8% decline in the first quarter, according to the Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller house price index released Tuesday morning.

San Antonio Federal Credit Union of Texas has acquired Mountainside Financial, the largest broker for mobile and manufactured home lending in the U.S.

Neil Kornswiet, an executive and attorney with deep roots in the subprime industry, has been hired by Pacific Mercantile Bancorp, Costa Mesa, to manage its residential mortgage division.