Mortgages

Non-agency MBS investors should look for bonds with smaller loan sizes in a structure that is levered to severity, said Amherst Securities Group analysts in a recent report.

Oftentimes, mortgage business owners have a confused picture of what marketing really is. They see it as some kind of gamble. Sometimes it pays off; other times it is a waste of money. But that just isn't the case. You can use marketing to consistently grow your mortgage income - and it has nothing to do with luck.

Jim Bane has a very simple business philosophy, one which has enabled him to be a successful mortgage loan originator.

A federal court has frozen assets at five California companies that are being investigated for trying to scam U.S. homeowners facing foreclosure. The Federal Trade Commission says it has opened an investigation into companies, which charged its customers up to $10,000 for legal advice and forensic audits.

Members of the Federal Home Loan Bank System are starting to take a new look at the old mortgage purchase programs that were developed back in the 1990s.

The annual Federal Housing Administration mortgage insurance premium officially increase April 9 to 120 basis points for loans with terms greater than 15 years and loan-to-value ratios less than or equal to 95%.

There often has been more talk than action in some cases when it comes to bringing old deal-types back to the new-issue securities market. But two notable transactions did emerge recently, and investors considering them should take note of how they and today's environment differ from what was seen in the past.

Thirty Democratic senators are urging the Federal Housing Finance Agency to evaluate the use of principal reduction as a "targeted solution" for assisting underwater borrowers with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans.

Mortgage companies added 3,000 full-time employees to their payrolls in February, according to Friday's jobs report.

A new mortgage origination report developed by loan origination system vendor Ellie Mae provides insight into the books of business of the Pleasanton, Calif.-based software company’s lender clients.

William E. "Bill" Mills, Jr., co-founder and chairman of Atlanta-based public relations firm William Mills Agency, passed away on March 15. He was 78.

There have been 16 bank failures through the first quarter this year. In the third quarter and fourth quarter last year, 26 and 18 banks were shut down, respectively.

The total return to investors from U.S.-based REITs in the first quarter was 10.41%, underperforming the S&P 500, which had a 12.59% return for the period, according to the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts. Still, REITs were successful in raising money during the period, possibly setting the stage to jump into the commercial refinance market.

Delinquency rates on home equity loans may have peaked during last summer, but they still remain at "troublesome" levels, according to a new report released by the American Bankers Association on Thursday.

First American Title Insurance Co.'s national commercial services division has created an energy group, consisting of land title examiners, attorneys, project coordinators and insurance underwriters to work exclusively on energy-related real estate transactions.

By at least two measures CMBS delinquencies took a notable upward turn in the last month, and by one measure new defaults also are still on the rise. But some observers believe the deterioration in performance is slowing in some areas and better days may lie ahead.

Wells Fargo was both the top commercial/multifamily mortgage originator and top lender for 2011, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is warning state homeowners to beware of phone solicitations from scammers claiming to provide assistance related to the recent national mortgage servicing settlement.

There is considerable emphasis placed on finding solutions to rising heath care costs for those 65 and older, but not enough is placed regarding housing and providing adequate support services for this same group, a Center for Housing Policy report states.

The average rate for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage during the week ending April 5 dropped to 3.98% from 3.99%, according to Freddie Mac's survey.