Secondary markets

Researchers at Andrew Davidson & Co. found that by some measures “affordability” has not risen since the housing bubble burst, but rather remained about the same.

Careful selection of homebuilder stocks, based on geographic markets and strategies, might be attractive to some investors.

Fannie Mae, which boasts a “credit enhanced” delinquency rate of roughly 8% on its guaranteed loans, is moving closer to launching a pilot program to dispose of some of that product.

The Government National Mortgage Association is in no rush to sell the $11.5 billion of mortgage servicing rights that it inherited almost two years ago when nonbank lender/servicer Taylor, Bean & Whitaker failed.

New York State is seeking to take control of bond insurer Financial Guaranty Insurance Co.

The surge in Federal Housing Administration lending after the housing bust may turn out to be the mortgage insurance fund’s salvation.

According to new reports, both Berkshire Hathaway, the holding company controlled by Warren Buffett, and Ocwen Financial have expressed interest in buying the nation’s fifth largest servicer.

A loss mitigation technique barely on the radar screen five years ago now is holding out hope that servicers can start moving their logjams of delinquent mortgages down the river and start resuming more normal operations.

A new wave of credit downgrades on the nation's megabanks could hit the market this week, causing nervousness among investors.

The more portfolio-friendly nature of jumbo loans and recent delays in key secondary market regulations are key hurdles holding back the long-awaited return of this secondary market, which is making some strides in other areas.

A major shakeup occurred last month in the senior ranks at nonperforming loan investor Arch Bay Capital with CEO Shawn Miller parting ways with the company.

Fitch CMBS stress tests show that relatively high percentages of top-rated securities that go through a sharp double-dip recession would keep those ratings intact.

The question most people seem to be asking is whether the flat origination fee proposal is going to become law. While I do not have a crystal ball, here is my take on it: The CFPB will certainly err in favor of certain consumer groups over the industry, but won't do so when there is little to gain.

Fannie Mae is moving closer to launching a pilot program to dispose of some of its nonperforming residential loans.

Mortgage investors, who have been complaining for months about the costs they will bear under the national servicing settlement, presented a list of proposed remedies at a congressional hearing.

The government is sharpening its focus on how mortgage lenders receive the information they use to manage pending and existing loans.

The latest round of monthly 30-year conventional mortgage-backed securities prepayment speeds came in slower than some expected.

Milestone Merchant Partners is circulating an offering book on $30.8 billion of mortgage servicing rights that once belonged to now-defunct Taylor, Bean & Whitaker.

An executive at a real estate investment trust that invests in agency and nonagency MBS said proposed credit risk-sharing opportunities with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are among the type of investments his firm would like to buy into.

Any successor to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac should be structured as a cooperative which would prevent Wall Street firms or megabanks from controlling access to the secondary mortgage market.