A bipartisan group of members of the House Financial Services Committee is coming to agreement on portions of pending legislation to increase non-agency activity. Rep. Scott Garrett, R-NJ, is set to introduce legislation shortly that has some support from Rep. Maxine Waters, D-CA, the ranking Democrat on the committee. Garrett’s “Private Mortgage Market Investment Act” was approved on a party-line vote by the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government-Sponsored Enterprises ...

In response to concerns from industry participants, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recently issued proposed clarifications to its ability-to-repay and servicing rules. The proposal includes changes to underwriting standards for non-agency “qualified mortgages.” The debt and income ratio standards for non-agency QMs were included in Appendix Q of the ATR rule. The standards were largely based on the FHA’s underwriting process. “The bureau has received numerous inquiries ...

Changes at Fannie Mae in 2010 would have forced Third Federal Savings and Loan to adjust its underwriting standards if the company was to continue selling mortgages to the government-sponsored enterprise. Instead, TFSL decided to differentiate itself from other lenders and launched a non-agency ARM product. To manage interest-rate risk while serving borrowers that might have trouble qualifying for an agency loan, TFSL shifted from predominantly selling fixed-rate mortgages to Fannie before July 2010 to ...

Citi recently launched a program that allows borrowers to use their savings account to earn rewards which are paid against their mortgage balance. Citi said its “Offset Mortgage” will allow borrowers to pay off their loan more quickly. The program is available in the New York tri-state area. Borrowers must have a savings account with Citi and an automatic monthly debit for the mortgage payment from a Citibank checking account to participate. Citi said a borrower with a loan amount of ... [Includes four briefs]

Wall Street has unveiled policy proposals calling for premium and guaranty fee adjustments and reduced loan limits for FHA and the government-sponsored enterprises to jump start the return of private capital to the U.S. housing market. The American Securitization Forum said the current level of government activity in the mortgage market is neither sustainable nor advisable. The government, through FHA, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, directly or indirectly guarantees 90 to 95 percent of new mortgage originations in the country, the trade association said. While everyone agrees the government’s role in housing should be reduced over the long term, there is ...

Skyline Home Loans, a shop controlled by industry veteran Bill Dallas, could double loan originations this year. Roughly 35 percent of its fundings entail purchase money loans.

Redwood Trust isn't the only busy beaver in the jumbo MBS market. Credit Suisse is out with a new deal.

Union Bank hopes to make a big splash as a retail funder of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans.

Cole Taylor Mortgage, which has grown its servicing portfolio ten-fold in the past year, is now an active Ginnie Mae issuer.

Mortgage profits are improving in the second quarter, but how long can it last? Meanwhile, Freddie talks about the CSP.