Latest Opinion Articles

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NEW Insight from Mortgage Trader Lingo; CFPB to Sharpen Claws on PHH? Chatter on Goals for GSEs

Thu, Jan 12 2012, 10:36 AM

Did you know that dolphins are so smart that within 2 weeks of being in captivity they can train a human to stand on the edge of a pool and give the...

NEW How MetLife's Exit Impacts the Industry - Will Others Follow?

Wed, Jan 11 2012, 10:54 AM

Some would say it is grim out there, and no, I am not talking about Hostess Brands, the manufacturer of Twinkies, Ho Hos, and Ding Dongs cake snacks...

NEW Wells Rolls the G-fee Hit Ordered by Congress; Indiana Refines Originator Rules; Fannie's EarlyCheck Benefits

Tue, Jan 10 2012, 10:10 AM

Last weekend I took my daughter, who is taking some fancy economics class in high school, with me to the used record store. I had eighty three 45 RP...

NEW Is Underwriting Too Tight?; MBA's Stance on Current Industry Topics; Agency Downgrade?

Mon, Jan 9 2012, 9:41 AM

The IRS said that taxpayers will have until April 17 to file their 2011 returns, thanks to two quirks of the calendar this year: April 15 falls on a...

NEW Reaction to CFPB's "Tell Your Story"; RMBS Chatter; VA's Appraisal Changes; USB Reacts to G-fee Hike

Fri, Jan 6 2012, 9:48 AM

"I would be moody too if I was standard and poor." I don't know how old that pun is, but many in the industry continue to wait for the rating agenci...

NEW Guarantee Fee Increase Chatter; Cordray in at CFPB? MERS Update; PHH's New Chief

Thu, Jan 5 2012, 11:44 AM

There sure is a lot going on for a holiday-shortened week. First off, the Fed sent Congress a little missive on how to fix the housing and mortgage...

NEW AOT, Guarantee Fee Primer; PIMCO Losing Investors; O2 Funding's Interesting Website Announcement

Wed, Jan 4 2012, 10:17 AM

Any ship can be a minesweeper - once. But not "once in a while." This note reached me: "Rob, every once in a while you'll mention 'AOT' like everyon...

NEW All Cash Purchases Increase; VA's Final Rule for Vets to Avoid Foreclosure; HUD's Settlement with FNF Provides a RESPA Lesson

Tue, Jan 3 2012, 11:10 AM

The U.S. Census Bureau projected the Jan. 1, 2012, total United States population at 312,780,968. This would represent an increase of 2,250,129, or ...

NEW Special Edition of Nothing but MI, Investor, and Lender Updates - Not for the Faint of Heart

Tue, Jan 3 2012, 10:07 AM

Although yesterday was a Federal holiday and we should have all had the day off, the number of residential lender, investor, and MI updates in the ...

NEW Experts 2012 Rate Outlook; 2011 Forecasts that Failed; MBS Capital Ratio Chatter; Basel III Thoughts

Fri, Dec 30 2011, 9:48 AM

We wrap up the year with the S&P (a better broad measure of stock performance than the DOW) essentially flat on the year, but 10-yr yields nearly 1....

NEW A Few Good Mortgage Studies; One Wholesaler Rolls Out HARP 2.0; Investors' Thoughts on 2.0's Impact

Thu, Dec 29 2011, 11:48 AM

Who says that folks in the mortgage business can't rhyme ? If you're away from your home, and you come back and find that a pipe has burst, a...

NEW GE De-banks MetLife; Bank of America and Turbulent Times; PHH's Financial Condition; Two Banks' Housing Market Forecasts

Wed, Dec 28 2011, 11:16 AM

Overheard recently: "I love Christmas lights - they remind me of some co-workers. They all hang together, half of them don't work, and the ones that...

NEW FHA Ant-flip Waiver Extended; Unintended Consequences of G-fee Hike; Tax Deductible MI Ending?; PHH Rumblings

Tue, Dec 27 2011, 10:29 AM

Saturday night, while you were pleasantly dreaming of presents, the cookies for Santa had a different experience . FHA lenders had reason fo...

NEW New Agency Borrowers Will Pay for Payroll Tax Cut Extension; Catch the Wave - Move Back in With Your Parents

Fri, Dec 23 2011, 10:17 AM

The Census Bureau reports that between 2005 and 2011, the proportion of young adults living in their parents' home increased. The percentage of me...

NEW Fannie's Interesting HARP 2.0 Shift; Spotlight on the Agencies; Fortress' Chief to Take Some Time Off

Thu, Dec 22 2011, 10:23 AM

The JD Power Survey is mostly known for car rankings. But the rating firm also takes a look at mortgage lenders . Congrats in the above to Qui...

NEW The CFPB Wants Your Input; Insurance Against Fraud; Cancelling Case Numbers

Wed, Dec 21 2011, 11:17 AM

If you have a few minutes, and want to learn more about our economy ("One recent survey found that one out of every three Americans would not be abl...

NEW Mortgage Fraud Continues; News from MetLife, LPS, M&T, REMN, Redwood Trust, Wells, Zillow, and BofA

Tue, Dec 20 2011, 10:38 AM

I f you have trouble finding something for that special person who has everything, how about a new chia pet. The old saying, "Give a man a...

NEW Banks to Increase Loan Loss Reserves? SEC's Fannie and Freddie Lawsuit; FHA Anti-Flipping Rule

Mon, Dec 19 2011, 10:59 AM

If you have a few seconds, go to Google and do a search on "Let it snow." There's even a "defrost" button. I am sure that many originators wish...

NEW VA Loan Limits; QRM Update; TMBA Kick-off Conference for January; Fannie STAR News for Servicers

Fri, Dec 16 2011, 10:17 AM

Since bread is square, then why is sandwich meat round? And why should VA loan limits be any different than other government agency loan limits? The...

NEW Confusion with NAR and Fraud Stats; ULDD Extended; FDIC Weighs in on Appraisals

Thu, Dec 15 2011, 10:02 AM

Christmas Day is only ten days away, and thrill-seeking mortgage bankers and Realtors everywhere are wondering what they'll find under their tree. H...

NEW Refi's Continue to be Strong - Who is Refinancing? Google Suspends Lead Generation

Wed, Dec 14 2011, 10:44 AM

A pig and a chicken are walking down a road. The chicken looks at the pig and says "Hey, why don't we open a restaurant?" The pig looks back at the ...

NEW Servicing: the Who's, What's, Why's, FHFA, and the MBA; Mortgage Company Profits

Tue, Dec 13 2011, 10:55 AM

For you folks who are clock-watchers as the day winds down: http://lovedbdb.com/nudemenClock/index2.html . (It makes one think that some software d...

NEW Broker Market Share Increases; Las Vegas' Foreclosed-upon Property Law; Mortgage AE jobs

Mon, Dec 12 2011, 10:00 AM

Any time I see "Jodie Foster," "housing scheme," "estranged father "and, "cargo containers" in one sentence, I scramble for the latest edition of P...

NEW VA Home Loan Primer; Cordray Nomination Temporarily Derailed; FHA Negative Equity Program Clarifications

Fri, Dec 9 2011, 9:57 AM

If it's a slow Friday afternoon in the office today, and you enjoy optical illusions . I'd like to say that there are no illusions in Washingto...

NEW Lending to Borrowers with Negative Equity: Spotlight on the FHA's Negative Equity Program

Thu, Dec 8 2011, 9:53 AM

If you made a Christmas wreath out of $100 bills would you have Areath-a Franklins? I have been retained by a very well-capitalized mortgage ban...

NEW SunTrust's Buybacks; Citi's Lay-offs; HARP 2.0 & Refinancing Speeds; MISMO Back in Action

Wed, Dec 7 2011, 10:33 AM

Pearl Harbor Day is here and the holiday party season is nearly upon us, and it is always good for mortgage bankers and Realtors to have some fodder...

NEW Wind Continues to Come Out of HARP 2.0 Sails; NY Fed Reports on Multiple Non-owner Loans

Tue, Dec 6 2011, 10:36 AM

In news that should surprise no one, the Census Bureau reports that the U.S. population 65 and older is growing faster than any other group and is ...

NEW Dangerous Combination of GMAC, Massachusetts, a Lawsuit, Unpaid TARP, and Possible Bankruptcy

Mon, Dec 5 2011, 10:17 AM

"Rob - my rep just wrote her clients an e-mail regarding gifts for this holiday season. Instead of contributing to the trade imbalance and sending o...

NEW FHA to Raise Premiums? HARP 2.0 Hesitation; CFPB Status; MI & Investor Updates

Fri, Dec 2 2011, 10:26 AM

What is Barack buying Michelle this year? A little non-owner unit, perhaps, but not thanks to Freddie Mac's HomeSteps , which is owner-occupied onl...

NEW Some Investors Rolling out HARP 2.0; 1st Day of UCDP; CA Mortgage Ops Job

Thu, Dec 1 2011, 11:06 AM

Sometimes in the financial markets there is just too much going on to comprehend. For example, yesterday the Fed (the U.S. Central Bank), in conjun...

NEW Refi Percentage Dropping; S&P Downgrades Banks; HARP Contact Info for Borrowers; MBA Classes for Originators

Wed, Nov 30 2011, 11:35 AM

According to a recent survey by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the typical U.S. homebuyer spent less and borrowed less in 2011 . NAR's...

NEW Frank Out, Waters In? FHA Capital Reserves Questioned Again; Massachusetts Title Questions

Tue, Nov 29 2011, 11:50 AM

Ineptocracy (in-ept-o-cra-cy) - a system of government where the least capable to lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the ...

NEW Comments on Buybacks and Production Hold-ups; NMLS Renewal; Mortgage Production & Ops Jobs

Mon, Nov 28 2011, 10:23 AM

Hey, if you're still originating loans now, you may-as-well stick around another year, right? The 2012 NMLS Streamlined Renewal Process is underwa...

NEW Countrywide & Guam's Settlement; PMI Files for Bankrupcty; Primer on Fannie & Freddie's Impact on Fed Funds

Fri, Nov 25 2011, 11:23 AM

If you say "raise up lights" really fast, it sounds like "razor blades" in an Australian accent. If you say "VA Funding Fee" really fast, nothi...

NEW How Basel III Impacts Mortgage Prices; More Stress Testing for US Banks; 9% Approval Rating for Congress

Wed, Nov 23 2011, 11:18 AM

"Well it's been ten years and a thousand beers, and look at the mess I'm in - A broken nose and a broken heart, and an empty bottle of gin. Well...

NEW Wells Fargo FICO Pricing Changes Roil Rate Sheets; BofA Challenges Fannie on Buybacks; A Lesson in Cajun Economics

Tue, Nov 22 2011, 10:37 AM

The inability of the Super Committee (maybe not so super) brought forth a flurry of political jokes. (For example, a driver is stuck in a traffic ja...

NEW FHA Gets the Nod, Fannie & Freddie Don't; Flood Insurance Changes; NMLS Update

Mon, Nov 21 2011, 10:05 AM

Lots of people in the real estate & mortgage businesses make a lot of money. As we head toward Thanksgiving, sometimes it is a good thing to remembe...

NEW Servicers Breaking Into Vacant Homes a Crime? REIT Angst; Texas SAFE Act Vs. Fed's Version

Sun, Nov 20 2011, 9:54 PM

"They've invented a microwave fireplace. Now you can sit by the fire all evening in just three minutes." It takes less than three minutes to br...

NEW Citi Dialing Back FHA/VA; Where Will Market Price HARP 2.0 Loans? Plethora of Investor & MI Changes

Fri, Nov 18 2011, 10:03 AM

If you changed residences between 2010 and 2010, congratulations: less than 12% of the U.S. population moved during that time , the lowest recorded...

NEW Rating Agency Fees Going Up; HARP 2.0 Dissected & Dissected Further

Thu, Nov 17 2011, 11:01 AM

One week until Thanksgiving - time flies. What's in a name? Plenty. For example, the name of the Athletic Director at the University of Texas is DeL...

NEW HARP 2.0 Details; Allied Back in Business?; Margin Changes for MBS's;

Wed, Nov 16 2011, 10:01 AM

Say what you want about zoning laws in Houston, but mosques and pig races don’t mix anywhere: http://www.youtube.com/embed/dUr1NxJDC94?rel=0 . ...

NEW Orange Alert for FHA Program? Who Will Buy HARP 2.0 Loans? Loan Amount Debate Winds Down

Tue, Nov 15 2011, 10:25 AM

This has nothing to do with mortgage banking or real estate, but it is definitely worth 30 seconds for anyone who drives or has a pet . In S...

NEW MetLife Beefs Up Reverse U/W; Wells Postpones Streamline Changes; Interesting Prepayment News; Loan Limit Update

Mon, Nov 14 2011, 10:10 AM

Let's say that you have a warehouse line with Bank of America , or anyone else for that matter. You come into work and either the line is frozen, ...

NEW Reader Input on LO Comp, MI Changes, Servicing for the Agencies, HARP 2.0, and FHA Streamlines

Fri, Nov 11 2011, 11:23 AM

Here we are at 11/11/11: Veterans Day. Veterans Day originated as "Armistice Day" on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War I....

NEW LoanSifter & Google Team Up; Servicing Settlement News; Are F&F Doing Enough? Ginnie Mae in the Spotlight

Thu, Nov 10 2011, 9:37 AM

We now have two weeks until Thanksgiving, first celebrated in the fall of 1621. Yesterday we discussed how six states account for two-thirds of U.S....

NEW Ally's ResCap to Declare Bankruptcy? CFPB Kicking Into Gear; Fannie Loses $5B

Wed, Nov 9 2011, 10:04 AM

We have fifteen days until Thanksgiving, first celebrated in the fall of 1621 when the Pilgrims held a three-day feast to celebrate a bountiful harv...

NEW More Mortgage Jobs; Chunk of MGIC Purchased; HARP 2.0 Comments; New Correspondent

Tue, Nov 8 2011, 10:58 AM

The scene: a town in Europe in 1350 devastated by the Black Plague, a man walking along crying, "Bring out your dead, bring out your dead..." Scene ...

NEW Allied's False Claim Act Lesson; Upcoming LP, UCDP, UAD, and UMDP

Mon, Nov 7 2011, 9:58 AM

Everyone received an extra hour this weekend - and don't forget that Friday the bond market is closed in the U.S. So if any company is generating ...

NEW Allied & Bella Homes in the Spotlight; Freddie Asks for $6 billion; LO Comp Remains an Issue

Fri, Nov 4 2011, 10:00 AM

Take your pick: this is really cool, really irritating, or merely mesmerizing. But don't forget to change your clocks this weekend: http://www.beek...

NEW Thoughts on Ally Scaling Back Correspondent; HARP 2.0 Agency Differences; Updates on Loan Limits and Servicing Fees

Thu, Nov 3 2011, 11:02 AM

No one said mortgage servicing (or lending) would be any fun. The Las Vegas City Council, on the 15 th , will consider a proposal that would make l...