Mortgages

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will tap small lenders to review its approach to merging the RESPA and TILA mortgage disclosure forms before issuing a proposal for public comment.

President Obama announced Tuesday night a plan to collect fees from large banks to help fund greater loan refinancings for underwater mortgagors.

The Federal Reserve’s 26-page white paper has generated a lot of commentary, both pro and con, since being released on Jan. 4. While others spend time and energy debating whether or not it’s the role of the Fed to comment on or recommend policy, I find the content itself far more interesting.

Rumors abound that the Federal Reserve is planning a new round of 'quantitative easing' as early as this spring.

Alaska developer Lee Baker, Jr., known in Anchorage as "The Condo King," has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges that he lied on loan applications to Denali Alaskan Federal Credit Union.

MountainView Servicing Group, Denver, is brokering a $129 million package of servicing rights guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association.

The nation's largest mortgage insurer, MGIC Investment Corp., posted yet another large loss in the fourth quarter, $135 million, but managed to obtain an operating waiver from the Wisconsin Insurance Commissioner, as well as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

With financial regulatory policy a major issue in an election year, topics like a pending mortgage settlement and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau could get strong billing in Tuesday's State of Union.

Recently we heard that the FDIC unloaded a $900 million pool of nonperforming and troubled notes, but the agency failed to release a press release on the deal. (It was a structured finance transaction.) In November 2010 the FDIC sold a $23 billion package of MSRs tied to the failed AmTrust Bank. No press release was issued on that deal either.

The Federal Trade Commission and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau have entered into a memorandum of understanding to coordinate investigations and law enforcement actions while avoiding duplication.

A new year brings a clean slate for many area. And for those who own a mortgage origination shop, it means the books from 2011 are closed. It is time to rededicate to running that business like a business.

When President Obama installed Richard Cordray as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, industry observers declared that a lawsuit was imminent.

In the mortgage industry, many branch managers are also the top loan originator in the office. Handling both tasks is often a juggling act, and sometimes the manager does not realize that one or more of the balls have fallen.

A recent Government Accountability Office report on appraisal oversight adds to evidence valuation problems could be persisting, according the National Association of Home Builders. The report suggests that the Appraisal Subcommittee charged with monitoring valuations has not fully been able to yet in line with its expanded role under Dodd-Frank.

The state attorney general leading settlement talks with the country's top mortgage servicers batted down speculation Monday that a deal had been reached.

The Home Lending Source, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., has hired 30 loan officers from the MetLife Home Loans, and is talking to another 25 or so.

Two years ago Wells Fargo and Bank of America were running neck-and-neck, competing against each other to become the nation's largest home lender. But today, Wells has emerged not only as the clear victor - by far - but B of A is now a shadow of its former self in mortgage banking, falling to fourth place in loan production.

Answering complaints that appraisers are using uncomparable 'comparables' on which to base their valuations, the Appraisal Institute has published new guidance to help valuation professionals know when -- and how -- to use distressed sales in appraising real estate.

Valuation Vision, a subsidiary of The Kirchmeyer Group, has launched a new product that acts as an alternative to a traditional broker price opinion.

It would cost Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac almost $100 billion to write down the principal on the underwater loans they control to current market values, according to a new estimate released by the Federal Housing Finance Agency.