Mortgages

Investor confidence in Ocwen Financial was clearly shaken Monday after New York state regulators forced the firm's founder out as part of a $150 million settlement.

A group of 17 Congressional Democrats sent a letter to Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro, calling for more foreclosure protections for Home Equity Conversion Mortgage borrowers' spouses.

Refinance volume may be waning, but lenders' reliance on consumer direct tools will only increase next year. Plus, the rise of mini-correspondents will keep the warehouse lending renaissance going strong in 2015.

Payments on mortgages that have passed the 60-days-late mark have seen a "material drop" from their recession-era peak, but have not returned to "normal" levels yet. They're getting closer, though.

Corporate landlords are benefiting from the worst rental-housing shortage in more than a decade as construction trails demand and more Americans opt to lease rather than buy.

Curt Culver has got a lot to keep him busy after he steps down as Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corp.'s CEO, including serving on the board of his family's eponymous restaurant chain.

Mortgage companies must properly vet their third-party vendors to ensure that there is no litigation, fraud allegations, or other risky behavior that might create risk for them.

The new estimate shows a 15% increase in purchase mortgage originations, compared to a drop in 2014.

Purchases of previously owned homes dropped more than forecast in November as residential real estate struggles to sustain its recovery even as borrowing costs remain low.

Ocwen Financial has agreed to pay $150 million to New York regulators to settle allegations that it fudged foreclosure documents and said Monday that its founder and, executive chairman, William Erbey is stepping down after 30 years with the Atlanta company.

To be a successful mortgage loan originator, you have to be able to function in any kind of real estate market.

Recent data from Freddie Mac has provided new insights into loan losses across different mortgage types, Fitch Ratings said in a press release Thursday.

A former Jefferies & Co. managing director convicted of fraud for lying to customers about the price of mortgage-backed securities sued the AllianceBernstein Holding LP executive who reported him.

The $4 trillion in mortgages serviced by the largest financial institutions slightly improved in the third quarter with more loans back in performing status and fewer in serious delinquency, a regulatory report said Friday.

Fannie Mae veteran Karen Pallotta has joined Redwood Trust's board of directors. Pallotta's recent role at Fannie was as executive vice president of the single-family credit guaranty business, which she assumed during the height of the financial crisis.

The Federal Housing Administration is facing severe challenges next year as some pressure it to lower premiums to deal with new competition from the government-sponsored enterprises, even while its insurance fund remains weak and it faces added scrutiny from GOP lawmakers.

Highland Capital Management LP won a $40 million jury award after successfully arguing Credit Suisse AG duped the Dallas-based debt manager into refinancing a shaky real-estate development.

Seer Capital Management is getting more bullish on U.S. commercial real estate. The $2.1 billion hedge fund firm, started by ex-Deutsche Bank AG executive Phillip Weingord, is planning a fund dedicated solely to buying the riskiest pieces of bonds backed by commercial properties, according to a presentation, a copy of which was obtained by Bloomberg News.

Home sales dropped 5.2% in November compared to a year earlier, according to data published Thursday by Re/Max.

Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., along with 17 other Democratic senators, is urging Department of Housing and Urban Development officials to consider a reduction in FHA mortgage insurance premiums.