Mortgages

Private-equity groups that invested some $900 million in Florida lender BankUnited Inc. less than three years ago may now be ready to cash out.

Bank risk professionals expect delinquencies on most types of consumer loans to rise, balances on credit cards to grow and global concerns will all affect the nation's economic health, according to a FICO survey.

Commercial mortgage banker Walker & Dunlop, Bethesda, Md., funded $4 billion of new loans in 2011, a 27% gain from the year prior, according to newly reported figures.

As Bank of America and other megabanks - except Wells Fargo, of course - continue to scale back their presence in residential finance a rebirth in mid-sized firms is underway, or so we're told. One veteran investment banker we know said there are now many nonbank funders that are producing $3 billion to $5 billion a year in new product.

Some banks might be skittish about selling nonperforming loans in bulk, but the market clearly likes it when banks shed problems en masse.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency has joined efforts to get credit unions exempt from the mortgage recordation tax in New York, ratcheting up the fight against the state levy.

Residential loan modifications will decline in 2012 for the second straight year, while short sales increase, according to a new forecast from Moody's Investor Service.

The mortgage division of Wells Fargo & Co., funded $120 billion of new home mortgages in the fourth quarter – three-times the volume of its closest competitor JPM Morgan Chase, according to figures released Tuesday morning.

One of the best ways to improve your reputation with Realtors is to add value "behind the scenes." Basically, this means that you go above and beyond getting the loan done. You find ways to help their business or make their job easier. It's even better if you give this type of value in ways that are not expected.

One of the niches where there has been some untapped demand for originations that lenders might want to consider carefully financing is the foreign national sector, according to Ken Engler, a branch manager in Naples, Fla., for Brentwood Mortgage Services.

For the "information junkie" who anxiously searches for any glimmer of an economic recovery, 2012 may prove to be a classic "good news-bad news" scenario. If you follow the news feeds, there is definitely no shortage of stories to bolster the position that the housing market is still a mess.

First, some good news: We understand that 350 MetLife Home Loan staffers are about to be made an employment offer. On top of that, other offers are being made to many of MLHL's high-performance loan officers. That's good news for the rank-and-file workers that make up this industry.

Scott Stern, the founder and CEO of Lenders One, a top player in residential finance, confirmed to National Mortgage News that he will leave the organization in March.

Strict underwriting standards and tighter credit conditions for mortgages are leading more borrowers to turn to friends and family for loans to help fund home purchases. But both borrowers and lenders both can run afoul of tax, legal and other complications if these personal loans aren’t structured properly.

Builders continue to face tough sledding when it comes to obtaining loans from banks, but there appears to be some light at the end of the tunnel.

Radian Guaranty has received waivers of the risk-to-capital ratio in four states of the 16 states it applied to, and has been rejected by two, the company said.

JPMorgan Chase chairman and chief executive Jamie Dimon suspects a "turn" in the housing market is getting closer but a recovery may still be years away.

When it comes to finding an advantage to using social media to market your REO assets while still managing all the other associated tasks, it can be a real challenge.

Fannie Mae is forecasting an additional $200-$300 billion in refinancings this year from the HARP program, but that won't be enough to offset what should be a tepid $1 trillion year in originations.

What does the NLRB have in common with Lady Gaga? Overtime. And a lot of it. While Lady Gaga is being sued by a single personal assistant for almost $400,000 of overtime, the National Labor Relations Board is throwing out agreements designed to protect businesses from class action overtime suits.