California and Texas took the honors for top FHA producers among states and other U.S. jurisdictions in 2012, with a combined $59.2 billion in new mortgage loans insured by the FHA. The combined output of the two states represented 25.5 percent of the $232.1 billion in new FHA originations reported by all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia for the entire year. Total FHA production by state was up a modest 5.2 percent in the fourth quarter from the previous quarter and a hefty 21.9 percent from the prior year. California, which accounts for 25 percent of the U.S. housing market, reported ...
The Federal Financial institutions Examination Council is taking a close look at social media and the risks it poses to financial institutions, including mortgage lenders.
Massachusetts will not join other states in the Justice Departments lawsuit against Standard & Poors, but instead will conduct its own fraud probe tied to CDO ratings.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's share of purchase-mortgage originations has increased each of the last two years, according to a new analysis by Inside Mortgage Trends.
Wells Fargo remained the top mortgage servicer in the industry at the end of 2012, but the company posted a rare decline in its portfolio during the fourth quarter and is reportedly considering selling some of its massive $1.873 trillion portfolio. A new Inside Mortgage Finance ranking and analysis of the servicing market underscores the gains made in market share by a handful of nonbanks and some regional banks, while some of the top servicers continue to pare their businesses. The servicing industry faces a significant challenge in that increased regulatory requirements are raising operational costs at a time when the overall market continues to decline. On the upside, much of the damage from the housing recession has already occurred...[Includes one data chart]
FHA single-family mortgage production was up 22.3 percent in 2012, but another increase in the mortgage insurance premiums will likely accelerate the programs three-year decline in market share. The Department of Housing and Urban Development late last week issued formal guidance to raise the annual MIP by another 10 basis points, taking effect for loans processed after April 1. It marks the fifth time HUD has raised FHA premiums in the past three years and raises the annual MIP to as much as 155 bps, for super-jumbo loans exceeding $625,500 with loan-to-value ratios over 95 percent and 30-year terms. Thats actually a relatively small slice of the FHA market: super-jumbo loans (which have...[Includes one data chart]
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill this week mulled over how to strengthen the shaky financial condition of the FHA single-family insurance fund and reduce the risk to taxpayers of another government bailout, while shrinking the agencys market footprint without disrupting the markets fragile recovery. Partisan differences were immediately on display, predictably, as Republicans slammed the agency while Democrats defended it. If the FHA was...