The Lede

By looking to the issues of the past, facing the issues of the present and accurately assessing the emerging trends, servicers can learn how to work with their providers to effectively scale up, and back down, as needed without disrupting their businesses.

HOPE NOW yesterday reported loan modifications continued to wind down from housing crisis peaks, noting that foreclosures and foreclosure starts increased.

Black Knight Financial Services, Jacksonville, Fla., said mortgage delinquencies fell 13 percent month-over-month in February, reversing January’s spike, bringing the national delinquency rate to its lowest point since April 2007. ...

Since late 2014, we've seen a stronger relationship between the average loan amount on refinance applications and the refinance index, MBA's gauge of refinance application activity.

STRATMOR Group, Greenwood City, Colo., said a survey of lenders found that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's TILA/RESPA Integrated Disclosure rule, while significantly boosting borrower satisfaction, comes with a price. Literally.

Falling oil prices represent a moderate credit negative for commercial mortgage-backed securities collateral and will cause performance to deteriorate in some metros, said Moody's Investors Service, New York.

American Banker, Mar. 22, 2016--Aukamp, William The author, a lawyer with Werb & Sullivan, says the mortgage regulatory burden providing a disincentive for banks to offer residential mortgage loans and for attorneys from wanting to represent lenders and borrowers in these transactions.

National Mortgage News, Mar. 22, 2016--King, Aaron While companies continue to make three big blunders in hiring and managing third-party vendors, there are reliable ways to avoid these mistakes altogether using existing technology.

Bloomberg, Mar. 23, 2016--Scully, Matt The Securities and Exchange Commission is looking at whether mortgage servicers are boosting profits by prematurely unleashing debt collectors on delinquent borrowers.

Detroit Free Press, Mar. 22, 2016--Tompor, Susan Some families face foreclosures after a spouse dies, the money is tight, and the mortgage is only in the name of the deceased. ustin Wiseman, director of loan administration policy at the Mortgage Bankers Association, said situations can be complex, such as when multiple successors apply for different loan modifications the same mortgage, or when privacy issues come into play.

Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Mar. 24, 2016--Henderson, Tim A relic of the Great Recession, zombie houses have receded in many states - but not all. They remain, and are growing in number in several states. The rate of foreclosure rose more quickly during the crisis, and stayed higher afterward, in states with lengthy court-supervised foreclosure procedures, Mortgage Bankers Association surveys of loan performance show.

National Mortgage News, Mar. 24, 2016--Collins, Brian In a letter, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, and Senate Banking Committee Chairman Richard Shelby, R-Ala., claim the Federal Housing Finance Agency and the Federal Housing Administration have a duty to maximize recoveries on defaulted mortgages.

Reuters, Mar. 24, 2015--Raymond, Nate Credit Suisse Group AG agreed to pay more than $29 million to resolve a U.S. regulator's claims that it sold toxic mortgage-backed securities to credit unions that later failed, according to court papers filed on Thursday.

National Mortgage Professional, Mar. 24, 2016--Hall, Phil One-third of all home sales during 2015 were all-cash transactions, according to new data from CoreLogic. Last year's cash sales sum was the lowest recorded since 2008 and is 13 percent below the 46.6 percent peak in January 2011.

HousingWire, Mar. 23, 2016--Swanson, Brena TRID, aka Know Before You Owe, caused mortgage lender back office fulfillment and post-closing costs to increase by an average of $209 per loan since October 2015, STRATMOR Group reported.

HousingWire, Mar. 23, 2016--Barraza, Cynthia The mortgage delinquency rate hit its lowest level since April 2007 as it fully recovers from January's 6.6%, according to the latest report from Black Knight Financial Services.

Wall Street Journal, Mar. 23, 2016--Light, Joe A group including some of the chief architects of the Obama administration's housing policy released a paper Wednesday outlining a new proposal for how to deal with mortgage-finance giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

National Mortgage News, Mar. 23, 2016--Collins, Brian The Federal Housing Finance Agency appears poised finally to allow principal reductions, but it's been nearly a decade since the mortgage crisis and underwater borrowers are much fewer thanks to higher home values.

NASDAQ, Mar. 28, 2016--Trefis The total third-party mortgage servicing portfolio for the 5 largest U.S. banks has shrunk by nearly 9% annually over the last five years, as stricter capital requirements and poor quality of legacy mortgages forced the four largest banks to reduce their presence in the mortgage servicing industry.

Wall Street Journal, Mar. 27, 2016--Andriotis, Annamaria At hardware stores along the U.S. East Coast in recent weeks, TD Bank has been trying to persuade shoppers to think bigger than paint and plumbing supplies: The bank wants them to start taking cash out of their homes again.