Deutsche Bank Must Face U.S. Lawsuit over #3.1 Billion Mortgage Loss: Judge

Reuters, Feb. 3, 2016–Stempel, Jonathan
Deutsche Bank AG must face a U.S. lawsuit seeking to hold it liable for causing $3.1 billion of investor losses by failing to properly monitor 10 trusts backed by toxic residential mortgages, a federal judge ruled on Wednesday.

Student Loans May Affect Mortgage Eligibility

U.S. News & World Report, Feb. 3, 2016–Mayotte, Betsy
It’s pretty clear that your student loan payments are going to affect how much and how quickly you’re able to save a down payment for your first home, as well as the affordability of your mortgage payments. But they can also affect your eligibility for the mortgage in the first place.

AGNC Results Generate Some Optimism for Mortgage REITs

Barron’s, Feb. 3, 2016–Stone, Amey
Mortgage real estate investment trusts have had a tough couple of years. But companies aren’t standing still. Earnings season kicked off Monday with a report from American Capital Agency that is creating some optimism.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Agree to Terms on Resolving Mortgage Disputes

Wall Street Journal, Feb. 2, 2016–Light, Joe
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac said Tuesday they have come to terms with lenders on how to resolve mortgage disputes, capping an effort that regulators hope will make loans cheaper and easier to get for some risky borrowers.

Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Finalize Rep and Warrants Policies

HousingWire, Feb. 2, 2016–Swanson, Brena; Lane, Ben
The Federal Housing Finance Administration announced Tuesday morning that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are changing their loan purchasing rules to establish an independent third-party review process for loans that trigger a repurchase request due to perceived violations of the government-sponsored enterprises’ representation and warranty framework. David Stevens, president and CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association, said that these new rules will help “broaden access to credit for borrowers” by providing lenders with more clarity about how Fannie and Freddie will handle repurchase requests.

Morgan Stanley Agrees to $63 Million FDIC Settlement Over RMBS

Bloomberg, Feb. 2, 2016–Hamilton, Jesse
Morgan Stanley will pay $63 million to settle a series of government lawsuits claiming the bank misrepresented securities it sold to banks that later failed, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said in a statement Tuesday.

Freddie Exec Casts Doubt on Lenders’ Mortgage Insurance Proposal

National Mortgage News, Feb. 2, 2016–Bisbey, Allison
Lenders argue that the GSEs would be better off buying more loans that are already insured, rather than transferring credit risk after holding them for a time. But Freddie Mac’s Kevin Palmer says certainty of reimbursement is more important than the timing of risk transfers.

Overly Tight Mortgage Rules Deep-Sixed 5.2 Million Mortgages from 2009 to 2014

Builder Magazine, Feb. 2. 2016
A team at Urban Institute used data to calculate how many more mortgages there would be if not for tight credit standards. This team, which already calculated 4 million were missing between 2009 and 2013, found another 1.2 million missing in 2014.

Freddie Mac Announces Top Multifamily Lenders For 2015

Real Estate Journals, Feb. 8, 2016
Freddie Mac at the MBA Commercial Real Estate Finance Conference announced the lenders that closed the most multifamily financing volume with the company last year. CBRE Capital Markets and Berkadia Commercial Mortgage topped the list.