Originations

Most mortgage stocks are following the same market trends that have pushing the Dow Jones Industrial Average down by an average of 200 points this morning.

Prime Group Realty Trust, Chicago, said it is in the process of considering various financing and other capitalization and strategic alternatives for the company.

The Federal Housing Administration is seeking public comment on mortgage underwriting changes it plans to implement soon to reduce defaults and losses to the federal mortgage insurance fund.

The real estate segment at GE Capital, Norwalk, Conn. lost $524 million in the second quarter of 2010, about twice as much as a loss of $237 million for the same period one year ago. Revenues declined during the same time to $991 million from $1.0 billion. GE Capital itself turned a profit.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has requested public comment on proposed policy changes designed to reduce the risk of loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration.

Credit shortages in parts of the market such as the jumbo sector are a strong argument for finding a way to make private-label securitizationeconomically viable again, a panelist told attendees at a securities conference in New York.

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In a further sign that the housing market is in the tank, banks have been outselling home builders for the last 18 months, according to a new report from Housing Intelligence, an independent research and analytical firm.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. is taking a hard line with some borrowers who want to sell their homes for less than they owe on the mortgage and avoid foreclosure.

Bank of America lost $1.5 billion on its residential mortgage business in the second quarter with credit charges remaining high and loan production barely rising from the first quarter.

The House late Thursday passed legislation to extend the National Flood Insurance Program for five years, increasing coverage on residential and commercial properties.

A few minutes after the Senate passed historic legislation to reform Wall Street, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced that Goldman Sachs had agreed to a record $550 million settlement of civil charges that the firm misled clients that lost $1 billion on a subprime CDO known as ABACUS.

StreetLinks National Appraisal Services LLC has updated its "Warranty of Appraisal Quality" to conform to Fannie Mae's new appraisal regulations.

Nevada had a nearly 60% increase in the rate of loan closings between May and June, according to a study conducted by eLynx.

FBR Capital Markets is recommending investors be "more aggressive" on private mortgage insurers ahead of their second quarter earnings reports.

The average rate for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage during the week ended July 15 matched the previous week's record low of 4.57%, according to Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey.

Mortgage attorneys, consultants, and trade group officials are at odds over the implementation date of restrictions on loan officer/broker compensation-and prepayment penalties-promulgated in the pending Dodd-Frank regulatory reform bill.

Borrowers giving up their homes through short sales face pressure to pay fees under the table; potential ripple effects of a Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac name change.

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JPMorgan Chase saw its mortgage banking related income spike by almost 200% in the second quarter to $364 million but is forecasting delinquency related losses of at least $1.8 billion for the next few quarters.