CoreLogic: Underwater Mortgages Fall As Home Prices Rise
Due mostly to rising home prices, the percentage of U.S. residential mortgages that were in negative equity or 'underwater' at the end of...
Fannie And Freddie Shareholders Slap U.S. Government With $41B Lawsuit
A group of private shareholders of government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac has filed a complaint against the U.S. government on...
CMLA Wants Responsible Small Lenders Exempt From Dodd-Frank Rules
The Community Mortgage Lenders of America (CMLA) has drafted legislation that, if taken up by Congress, would exempt small lenders from having to...
GSE Dividends Help Boost U.S. Credit Rating To ‘Stable’
Due in part to the huge dividends being paid to the U.S. government by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Standard & Poor's on...
Plans To Liquidate Fannie And Freddie Taking Shape
Government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would be liquidated over a five-year period and replaced by an entity offering government reinsurance...
FHA Could Need Bailout Before Year-End
Could the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) end up in the same boat as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac? Despite efforts to shore up...
Investors Learn Hard Way That Foreclosure Auction Scams Don’t Pay
Federal authorities are reportedly cracking down on the illegal practice of rigging bids on foreclosed properties at bank auctions. According to a report...
Making Home Affordable Program Extended, QM Rules Modified
Despite signs that the U.S. housing market is on the mend, millions of homeowners are still struggling to pay their mortgages. To provide...
Mortgage Application Volume Drops As Rates Spike
Mortgage applications fell almost 9% last week, on an unadjusted basis, compared to the week prior as interest rates jumped to their highest...
Bernanke Says It’s Premature To Put Brakes On Federal Stimulus
Is it time to wean Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from the Federal Reserve Bank? Or is it too soon to phase out...
Almost Half Of U.S. Homeowners Still Underwater
More than 13 million homeowners were still underwater with their mortgages in the first quarter of 2013 - and about 9 million of...
Existing-Home Sales Rise, But Market Remains Constrained
Although existing-home sales rose in April, they remain below underlying demand because of limited inventory and tight credit, according to the National Association...
Study: Immigration Reform Could Generate $500 Billion In Housing Transactions
Passage of current legislation that creates a path to legalization for 11 million undocumented immigrants could create a new pool of 3 million...
How The National Mortgage Settlement Is Playing Out
Joseph A. Smith Jr., the official monitor of the National Mortgage Settlement, has received an update on the consumer relief activities performed by...
MBA’s Attack Plan For The Return Of Private Capital To The Mortgage Industry
The government's involvement in the mortgage market has ballooned to unhealthy proportions, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). So what can the...
Ally Just About Ready To Kiss Mortgage Banking Goodbye
Ally Financial Inc. has entered into agreements with the Residential Capital LLC (ResCap) estate and its major creditors to support a Chapter 11...
A Legislative Lobbying Primer
It is easy to get turned off on politics, especially in view of the strident nature of recent political campaigns and the partisan...
MBA: ‘We Need These Three Things From Washington’
Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) CEO David H. Stevens addressed his colleagues this week during the MBA's National Secondary Market Conference & Expo, calling...
Busy Week In The Mortgage Fraud Universe
Mortgage fraud took center stage this week in several corners of the U.S., led by a 12-year federal prison sentence for a Chicago...
Watt Is Obama’s Pick To Lead The FHFA
President Obama has announced his new man for the role of Federal Housing Finance Authority (FHFA) director: U.S. Rep. Melvin Watt from North...