Mortgages

The ability to repay rule states that a lender "shall not make a mortgage loan unless the creditor makes a reasonable and good faith determination at or before consummation that the consumer will have a reasonable ability to repay the loan according to its terms."

Is the return of mortgage companies to NASCAR sponsorships a sign the industry's recovery from the subprime crisis is speeding ahead, or spinning out of control?

Mortgage servicing has long been a scale business, but rising compliance costs are now threatening the survival of smaller operations that lack efficient systems or staff expertise, industry experts say.

Marketers should try different platforms and see which of them work best for their needs.

The loans have better-than-average credit and home equity metrics, according to Standard & Poor's. The deal lacks fraud-related representations and warranties, but all loans are performing, DBRS finds.

As Fannie Mae reports another big profit and the repayment of its government bailout, key questions remain about the size of taxpayers’ return and the mortgage giant’s business model.

It's clear regulation has replaced credit risk as the industry's top worry. Here are some suggestions for dealing with the new environment from attendees at this week's MBA servicing conference.

One of the first court decisions related to new Dodd-Frank servicing regulations finds allegedly unfair loss mitigation and dual track foreclosure proceedings can be privately enforced, but to a limited extent.

Two Florida men have been sentenced to serve seven years in federal prison for swindling more than $4 million from borrowers who were behind on their mortgages.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's crackdown on mortgage servicers' operations will increase the pressure on lenders to improve their processes, paperwork and communications with borrowers. National Mortgage News journalists discuss how both banks and nonbank servicers can get ahead of the new regulatory scrutiny.

Sales of previously owned homes dropped in January to the lowest level in more than a year as harsh winter weather combined with a lack of supply, tight credit and declining affordability slowed demand.

Lenders must give these to consumers who apply for home equity lines of credit and adjustable rate mortgages.

After eight straight profitable quarters and record annual income, Fannie Mae's dividend payments to the U.S. Treasury now exceed the bailout funds it's received since 2008.

Having all the information about a borrower’s loan status readily available and being able to prove a servicer made an effort to reach out to a distressed homeowner are critical.

Ocwen Financial raised less than underwriters expected by selling bonds tied to fees from managing government-backed loans as the mortgage servicer’s shares fell to the lowest since December 2012.

The giant servicer wants third-party property sellers to use its online auction portal.

The Mortgage Bankers Association is trying "to get the regulators to just be aware of where one rule conflicts with another," says the trade group's president, David Stevens.

Lower volumes and increased regulation are leading more lenders to consider outsourcing. But the savings and compliance improvements must outweigh increased liability for contractors and a rise in offshore prices.

Once written off as an endangered species, nonbank home lenders are making a comeback in the third-party origination businesses abandoned by banks since the financial crisis.

Mortgage rates for 30-year loans climbed for a second week, cutting into affordability as the housing recovery shows signs of cooling.