Mortgages

Sales of California homes and condominiums rose 8% in May from the prior month, according to DataQuick.

There are three items contributing to the recent book value decline in mortgage real estate investment trust stocks: Prepay protection premiums evaporation; duration and duration extension risk; and mortgage basis risk.

Morgan Stanley and Bank of America Merrill Lynch are marketing $1.5 billion of commercial mortgage-backed securities.

In this new position, Patricia Kauker will be responsible for managing the reverse mortgage lenders training and development program and create initiatives that will help expand the program.

The prevalence of short sales is likely the most significant factor impacting foreclosure rate improvements and the housing recovery.

On the Mortgage Grapevine, poster Accptmort is looking for a commercial correspondent purchaser in Wisconsin who accepts loans or referrals from mortgage brokers.

DBRS found in a commercial mortgage-backed securities investor survey that the majority of respondents expect their holdings to increase over the next 12 months despite some concerns about loosening underwriting standards in the sector.

The Orion Financial Group has introduced i3, a proprietary mortgage document imaging and storage services software for small to medium-sized investors.

A father and son were sentenced in Newark, N.J., federal court for running a fraudulent foreclosure rescue company that obtained $4.4 million in mortgage loans.

Data indicate atypical economic conditions at the local and national level will lead to atypical new delinquency rates that are bound to slow down the housing market recovery during the rest of 2013.

EPR Properties has priced a $275 million debt offering at an interest rate of 5.250%. The senior notes are due in 2023.

Many American Indian reservations are mortgage deserts, with lenders avoiding them like the plague because of difficulties over land status, persistent poverty, and lack of lending infrastructure.

Gladstone Commercial Corp., McLean, Va., has hired Gladstone Securities LLC to be its non-exclusive agent to assist in arranging mortgage financing for its properties.

Commercial real estate loan collateralized debt obligation delinquencies fell in May to 12.7% from 13.2% in April, according to a Fitch report

Home prices in Texas have recovered from the housing downturn as they are now 7% above the pre-recession peak recorded in the fourth quarter of 2007.

For the most part, qualified mortgage/Ability-to-Repay guidelines should provide a level of compliance certainty. But are they still too severe?

The Atlanta mortgage servicer said it would buy $78 billion in unpaid principal balances of mortgage servicing rights using a combination of cash and available credit.

Regulators, creditors, accountants and shareholders all have increased focus on this asset. Basel III implementation may further exacerbate this.

The GSE regulator is starting to notice the emergence of some rapidly growing nonbank servicers that have become Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac seller/servicers.

The amendment provides certain exceptions to this Dodd-Frank requirement that loan originator compensation be included in the total permissible points and fees for both Qualified Mortgages and high-cost loans.