Whether the servicing operation is owned by a bank with an origination arm or not, HARP 2.0 represents both a great opportunity and a real risk for mortgage servicers.

Outstanding residential debt serviced by mortgage banking firms fell to $9.1 trillion at yearend, the lowest reading since the third quarter of 2007, according to new figures compiled by National Mortgage News and the Quarterly Data Report.

Despite real estate-owned saturation rates rising, national home prices through February reached the lowest levels of decline in over 10 months, according to the real estate asset valuation provider Clear Capital.

Before Barack Obama was elected president residential mortgage debt in the U.S. was actually larger than outstanding Treasury debt. At yearend 2009 home mortgage debt peaked at $10.1 trillion. Today that number is a $1 trillion lower - according to figures compiled by National Mortgage News and the Quarterly Data Report.

Bank of America issued just $7.9 billion of GNMA-backed MBS in the fourth quarter, a 71% plunge from the same period in 2010, according to new figures compiled by National Mortgage News and the Quarterly Data Report.

Here's a taste of a story appearing in the Monday edition of National Mortgage News: Brian Simon, CEO of Caliber Funding, in a recent interview predicted that his company could grow originations by threefold or fourfold in 2012.

Online-only mortgage lender Quicken Loans said it has openings for 1,400 positions, primarily in its downtown Detroit office, including 300 technology jobs.

For the first time in more than 20 years, market research and analytics firm Mortech LLC did not conduct its annual lender survey and will not publish its annual mortgage industry trends and analytical report.

Electronic signatures have been legal in the United States since 2000. But a lack of acceptance at the Federal Housing Administration and the Internal Revenue Service has prevented some lenders, even technologically advanced ones, from using the technology for any mortgage documents.

There was nearly $5 billion in primary new insurance in January written by the members of the Mortgage Insurance Cos. of America, down from $5.8 billion in December.

While MERS QA is neither unreasonable nor unexpected, the challenges uncovered in the race to comply are significant. Never before has the industry asked servicers to ensure the data of originators.

When purchasing distressed properties across the country, buyers continue to be more interested in acquiring pre-foreclosed homes rather than bank-owned assets, according to the latest figures from RealtyTrac.

It would appear that the future is starting to brighten for loan brokers, at least according to new figures released by the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System, which shows an increase in the number of state-licensed LOs and mortgage companies.

ClosingCorp has introduced a business-to-consumer online loan cost estimate calculator that includes a lead generation component, and is offering it in conjunction with real estate Internet sites.

Residential loan applications fell 0.3% for the week ending February 24 while refinancings continued to dominate the business, according to new figures compiled by the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Banks and consultants are looking to improve money laundering detection systems using lessons adapted from their fight against consumer fraud.

Mortgage bankers funded roughly $404 billion of home mortgages in the fourth quarter, a 13% sequential gain, but a 25% decline from the same period in 2010, according to final survey figures compiled by National Mortgage News and the Quarterly Data Report.

Technology is building new bridges between traditional appraisals, automated valuations, sensitive property data and housing market analytics. Federal regulation adds to the mix the development of regulatory-compliant appraisal solutions for banks and third-party service providers.

Boston-based Highfields Capital Management, which owns a 7.7% stake in CoreLogic, accused CoreLogic's board of directors' "desire to maintain control rather than doing what is in the best interest of shareholders."

Single-family originations by commercial banks and savings institutions jumped 23% in the fourth quarter as refinancing activity accelerated from the prior period, according to new figures released by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.