Secondary markets

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac transferred a substantial amount of credit risk to the private sector through both single-family and multifamily market transactions in the first half of the year, with activity expected to rise in 2019, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

QRL Financial Services, the mortgage outsourcing division of First Federal Bank of Florida, is the latest investor to seek out better secondary market execution by purchasing electronic notes from correspondents.

Despite an overall weak mortgage originations market, Flagstar Bancorp's third-quarter earnings grew 20%, due in large part to its ongoing efforts to diversify operations.

Rising mortgage interest rates not only will continue to constrain banks' once-robust revenue from this business, they will also affect existing borrower credit quality, a report from Moody's said.

The departing CEOs of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac oversaw significant cultural and operational shifts that made the housing finance system safer and more responsive to market needs, but a tough job lies ahead for their successors.

Industry downsizing resulted in an increase in critical defects found in closed mortgages as loan packaging errors continued to rise during the first quarter, according to Aces Risk Management.

Wells Fargo Home Lending is tapping eOriginal to launch an electronic note program, marking a step forward for the mortgage industry's push toward a more digital process.

Mortgage-related earnings at five banks were lower due to the effect of higher interest rates on loan volume this year, even though late-season homebuyers improved consecutive-quarter origination numbers at three companies.

Home price index swaps, treated as a second lien on a property, will be used to reduce the default risk associated with low down payment mortgages, one of the program's creators said.

Intercontinental Exchange, the owner of the New York Stock Exchange, has purchased the remaining equity in Merscorp Holdings it did not already own.

Residential mortgage loan exchange provider Maxex has closed a new $38 million funding round it will use to improve and expand various aspects of its platform.

Early adopters took digital mortgages from concept to reality. What will it take for everyone else to catch up?

From origination to servicing and everything in between, here's a sneak peek at the companies and products presenting demos at the 2018 Digital Mortgage Conference.

Due diligence firm American Mortgage Consultants has launched a new subsidiary in response to growing lender and servicer interest in digital transactions.

Computershare Loan Services has agreed to acquire a loan fulfillment and secondary marketing unit owned by LenderLive Holdings in order to broaden its services along the full mortgage lifecycle.

Freddie Mac produced modest second-quarter results, reflecting a stabilizing business that CEO Donald Layton compared to a utility company.

As regulators move forward with policy changes designed to curb so-called refinance churning of Department of Veterans Affairs-insured mortgages, concerns have surfaced about the fate of loans originated during the transition period.

Servicers and MSR investors face increased regulation and oversight as nearly all states now require some form of licensing for firms responsible for mortgage collections.

Optimal Blue is expanding its reach in the secondary mortgage market by acquiring Resitrader, a whole-loan trading marketplace that has integrations with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac enjoy considerable advantages because of their lower cost of capital and significant government subsidies. But with some conforming loans, the private market is finding a way to compete.