Secondary markets

Freddie Mac has launched its first securitization of small-balance loans on multifamily properties. The 44 mortgages backing the $108 million of SB1 Certificates are underwritten by Freddie Mac and originated by Greystone Servicing Corp.

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. has agreed to pay around $270 million to settle a lawsuit by investors who claimed the bank misled them about the safety of billions of dollars worth of residential mortgage-backed securities.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development found recently that a Federal Housing Administration down payment assistance program translated to higher mortgage rates for borrowers.

The House Financial Services Committee approved a bill that would delay the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's enforcement of the new TILA-RESPA integrated disclosure rules. It also approved two additional bills addressing the qualified mortgage rule and GSE executive compensation.

A survey from Fannie Mae found that lenders use credit overlays in a limited manner, with some variations based on channel.

The price of loans that underlie commercial mortgage-backed securities fell from May to June, according to DebtX.

A dispute over pay for the chief executive officers at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could put Barack Obama and House Republicans together in an unusual alignment against a housing official appointed by the president.

The California Housing Finance Agency has ended its use of a U.S. Treasury liquidity program that the agency had relied on since 2009.

The range of loan products offered by mortgage lenders and investors has been narrow since the housing crisis, but a few underserved niches are starting to make a comeback.

Housing markets are steadily improving nationwide, according to the latest Freddie Mac's Multi-Indicator Market Index.

The bankruptcy of Wingspan Portfolio Advisors epitomizes the existential crisis facing default servicing. This once-thriving sector of the mortgage industry now finds itself declining in lockstep with the drop in loan delinquencies and foreclosures.

U.S. housing-finance reform may be even more remote thanks to a provision in the Senate's transportation bill that uses the mortgage giants as a source for funds, according to lawmakers and industry groups.

Interest rates for fixed mortgages fell in the week ending July 23, but short-term adjustable-rate mortgages saw modest increases, according to Freddie Mac's primary mortgage market survey.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's new integrated disclosure regulations could pose problems for warehouse line providers along with their mortgage lender clients.

Huntington Bancshares in Columbus, Ohio, reported higher quarterly in profit that reflected higher in mortgage banking fees and steady loan growth.

WASHINGTON — The Senate Finance Committee voted Tuesday for a measure that would extend a temporary 10-basis point hike in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guarantee fees for an additional four years.

Radian's note repurchase and issuance of new debt have helped increase the liquidity and capital strength of its mortgage insurance business.

Genworth Financial Inc. is in exclusive talks to sell a European unit to France's Axa SA as Chief Executive Officer Tom McInerney works to fill a capital gap at its private mortgage insurance subsidiary.

The new MBS program gives FHLB members direct access to the secondary market.

Wellington Denahan is stepping down as chief executive officer of Annaly Capital Management Inc., the largest real estate investment trust that buys mortgage debt.