Industry advisors and lobbyists hope they can move the implementation date for lower GSE loan limits deep into the second quarter, but they also realize they cannot forestall it completely.

Some lenders have vowed to close loans without IRS verifications, filling the void by asking for additional and in-depth documentation – but only on retail-sources mortgages.

An assistant at CashCall tries to clear the air on the lender's sale. Meanwhile, the USDA mortgage program is dead, for now.

Certain members of the U.S. Senate want to see some type of analysis from FHFA on what impact lower loan limits will have on the housing and mortgage markets.

Has Paul Reddman given up trying to sell CashCall, the refi specialist? Meanwhile, MBS issuance got whacked in the third quarter.

Moody's, in a new report, notes that Bank of America outsources roughly 25 percent of its “early stage” collection efforts to vendors.

The general consensus is that despite their conservatorship status, the GSEs are still considered private companies, even though Treasury controls their senior preferred shares.

The U.S. homeownership rate fell to 63.9 percent in 2012, according to figures compiled by the Census Bureau through its “American Community Survey.” In case you’re keeping tabs, it’s the fifth year in a row that the rate has gone south.

FHA claims it is still endorsing loans but only 2 percent of its staffers are on duty. Also, the USDA mortgage program lies dormant.

As the government shutdown continues and many federal workers go without pay checks, there’s a growing concern that these potential borrowers will see their credit scores get dinged.