Acquisitions boosted Ocwen Financial to the top subprime servicer spot at the end of 2011, according to a new ranking and analysis by Inside Nonconforming Markets. However, that was not the only significant movement among the top five subprime servicers, as American Home Mortgage Servicing changed more than its name. Ocwen serviced an $84.73 billion subprime portfolio at the end of 2011, a whopping 49.9 percent increase compared with the end of 2010. During that time, the amount of subprime mortgages outstanding decreased by 9.2 percent to an estimated $545.0 billion ... [Includes one data chart]

Reaction among non-agency participants regarding the settlement by five large bank servicers announced last week has been mixed. Investors are divided on what impact principal forgiveness loan modifications will have on non-agency mortgage-backed securities – largely because the settlement terms have not been settled yet. “Once the bank modifies their own portfolio loans, where it makes sense to reduce principal, there is a huge incentive to do the rest of the modifications using investor money,” warned Amherst Securities Group. “This stems from the fact that the servicers are able to use investor funds to satisfy their own claims. And the conflicts of interest are exacerbated because of the second liens ...

The delinquency rate on subprime mortgages at the end of 2011 hit levels not seen since 2008, but analysts warn that subprime performance could worsen as borrowers are unable to refinance and negative equity increases. The seasonally adjusted delinquency rate for subprime mortgages fell to 20.8 percent at the end of 2011, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. The rate has declined in each of the past seven quarters from a peak of 27.2 percent in the first quarter of 2010. However, a number of factors suggest that delinquency rates on non-agency mortgages will increase ...

The $25.0 billion servicing settlement is just the latest step toward standardized servicing regulation, according to industry analysts. Many non-agency servicers have taken major steps to prepare for an overhaul of servicing regulation, though increased costs are a concern. “It appears that non-agency MBS servicers have already made significant operational changes in an effort to address process deficiencies identified in this settlement and by regulators,” Fitch Ratings said. As with federal consent orders several servicers agreed to last year ...

American Home Mortgage Servicing and Carrington Capital Management agreed last week to settle a lawsuit regarding alleged improper servicing by American Home on $128.1 million in non-agency mortgage-backed securities owned by Carrington. The lawsuit was filed in 2009 by Carrington, which claimed American Home had conducted “fire sales” of delinquent properties in the securities in an effort to repay debt. At the time, American Home denied the charges. The terms of the settlement were not released. [Includes two briefs]

A settlement involving major servicers and state attorneys general could be close, as state AGs have until Feb. 6 to agree to a potential $25 billion settlement. Negotiations on the settlement have dragged on for 15 months and were previously slated to end Feb. 3. Ally Financial, Bank of America, Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo would reportedly be included in the settlement. Some $17 billion in penalties paid by the banks would go toward principal reductions, $5 billion would go toward a reserve account that would ... [Includes three briefs]

Analysts are divided regarding the outlook for Ocwen Financial as the special servicer has grown significantly in the past two years. Fitch Ratings and Moody’s Investors Service recently downgraded Ocwen and Saxon Mortgage due to concerns about Ocwen’s growth strategy and financial standing while others have endorsed Ocwen and its practices. Ocwen handled a $106.1 billion portfolio at the end of the third quarter of 2011, including $74.9 billion in subprime mortgages. The total included some of the $38.6 billion in subprime loans the servicer acquired from Litton Loan Servicing. At the beginning of February, the company is set to close acquisitions of the Saxon platform and its $26.6 billion portfolio as well as $15.0 billion in non-prime mortgage servicing rights from ...

Nationstar Mortgage’s servicing portfolio has grown significantly in the past year due to acquisitions from banks, a trend the company’s officials suggest will continue. “There is significant room for market penetration as larger banks dispose of servicing assets,” the nonbank servicer said in a recent presentation to investors. Nationstar is touting its growth prospects even after increasing its servicing portfolio to $102.7 billion at the end of the third quarter of 2011 from $12.7 billion at the end of 2007. The company owns 49.2 percent of the holdings, with the rest being subserviced for others ...

Carrington Holding Company this week announced a partnership with Oaktree Capital Management to purchase up to $450 million in real estate-owned properties and offer them as rentals. The plan is not specific to loans owned by the government-sponsored enterprises, according to Carrington officials. “Whether this inventory comes from the GSEs, banks or directly from the [multiple listing service] isn’t a primary concern at the moment,” said Rick Sharga, an executive vice president at Carrington Mortgage. “We’ll put together the portfolio based on properties that meet the criteria we’ve established to ensure a reasonable return for the investors.” ...

Credit Suisse Securities won an auction this week for $7.01 billion in predominantly non-agency mortgage-backed securities sold by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The securities were part of the Maiden Lane assets the Fed acquired from AIG and the amount of the winning bid was not disclosed. The Fed halted sales of the assets last year after demand for the securities decreased. The sale this week of most of the remaining Maiden Lane II assets was prompted by an unsolicited offer from Goldman Sachs. The Fed decided to auction the MBS sought by Goldman and Credit Suisse won, also beating bids by Barclays Capital and Merrill Lynch ... [Includes three briefs]