Secondary markets

Starting March 26, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Mike Crapo will hold two days of hearings on his plan for returning Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to private ownership.

Ohio has become the latest state to start including mortgage servicing rights holders in its increased regulation of nonbank servicers.

Manufactured and modular home lender Tammac Holdings is using $60 million in debt and equity financing from its new majority owner to fund construction loans.

Mortgage lenders' gain on the sale of loans to the secondary market has finally increased after several quarters of declines, according to Richey May.

The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association approved changes to its good delivery guidelines that ease the path to the government-sponsored enterprises issuing uniform mortgage-backed securities starting on June 3.

Ginnie Mae could limit how much servicing income mortgage lenders can sell off through a transaction if they don't establish a minimum 25-basis-point spread at the portfolio level by next year.

American Mortgage Consultants has acquired title search outsourcer String Real Estate Information Services as part of ongoing efforts to support all the services secondary-market clients need to conduct trades.

The government-sponsored enterprises are going through a transition period. From proposals for rebuilding their capital cushions to tackling shortages in affordable housing, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac face a number of key challenges with wide-ranging consequences this year.

Ginnie Mae should not overreact in supervising smaller, more diversified mortgage bankers, but rather scale its approach in line with the concentration of risk that different-sized servicers pose.

Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase had reduced mortgage-related earnings in the fourth quarter as home loan activity continues to fall short of expectations.