Secondary markets

Moody’s and Fitch were dropped from an antitrust lawsuit claiming Ambac Financial Group and credit rating companies conspired to force local governments in California to purchase insurance they didn’t need.

John Paulson, the billionaire hedge fund manager who built his fortune betting on a decline in the U.S. housing market in 2007, said he expects a surge in the stock of mortgage insurers led by Radian Group.

The proposed move could result in downgrades for about 1,200 residential mortgage-backed securities.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development is renewing its efforts to get Congress to pass legislation that will give the Federal Housing Administration additional enforcement powers.

Fitch is registering some concern about what it describes as a “very rapid rise” in the number of U.S. large-loan commercial mortgage-backed securities deals in recent months.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ recently proposed additional changes to its residential/commercial mortgage-backed securities valuation method could have a particularly notable impact on alternative-A credit fixed-rate and subprime securities.

JPMorgan will issue $505 million of notes backed by the beneficial interests in a pool of four commercial mortgage loans backed by 82 properties.

The transaction was structured to be a seven-year, 2.58% adjustable-rate loan, with one-year interest only followed by a 30-year amortization schedule.

Interactive Mortgage Advisors is exclusively brokering $312 million Ginnie Mae bulk residential mortgage servicing rights for an unnamed seller.

The era of “extend-pretend” may be coming to an end for maturing commercial mortgages that cannot make their payments.

The title insurance industry was one of the beneficiaries of the 2012 refinance boom, as premiums written during the year totaled $11.4 billion, up 21% over 2012.

Deutsche Bank AG is moving closer to turning U.S. rental home payments into bonds.

While the Senate Banking Committee has clearly reached consensus on the need for mortgage finance reform, the process remains at a standstill beyond that.

Community banks and other small mortgage lenders will have access to a new securitization platform that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are going to build over the next five years.

Motivational speakers main attraction for real estate agents at invitation-only "cinemeeting."

The unit of Cardinal Financial contributed $6.3 million to the company's first-quarter earnings.

Global Tower Partners is readying a $245 million commercial mortgage-backed securitization of cell towers.

Bank of America has agreed to settle with investors who alleged that Countrywide misled them about mortgage-backed securities sales.

For the second consecutive week, refis are driving the increase in application volume, this time up 4.8% on a seasonally adjusted basis for the week ended April 12.

Freddie Mac has another multifamily commercial mortgage-backed securities deal set to price on or about April 18, its sixth K deal this year.