The Lede

The Mortgage Bankers Association, in a letter to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, offered recommendations regarding proposed amendments to the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act.

The Mortgage Bankers Association sent a letter this week to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, addressing the Bureau's Ability-to-Repay/Qualified Mortgage Rule and offering a set of recommendations to improve the rule.

Following a Federal Housing Finance Agency request for input on issues faced by borrowers with limited English proficiency, the Mortgage Bankers Association and other associations raised serious concerns about proposals to add a "Language Preference" question to the Uniform Residential Loan Application.

HousingWire, Aug. 3, 2017--Ben LaneOcwen Financial could soon get a big boost in its fight against the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau from a once-unlikely source--the Department of Justice.

Mortgage Daily, Aug. 7, 2017While quarterly earnings were solidly higher at Regions Financial Corp., mortgage income receded. Servicing grew with the acquisition of mortgage servicing rights during the quarter.

Mortgage Professional America, Aug. 7, 2017--Francis Monfort The mortgage servicing industry can poise itself for stability and growth by continuing to emphasize oversight practices as it continues to rectify its relationship with the public following the financial crisis, according to a report by S&P Global Ratings.

National Mortgage News, Aug. 7, 2017--Bonnie SinnockAfter Freddie Mac recently took steps to curb 1 percent down mortgages, new questions are emerging about how much risk the industry, and borrowers, should take with these products.

Bloomberg, Aug. 3, 2017--Sarah MulhollandWith store closures accelerating, landlords are having to change course and find ways to create malleable space that can accommodate a revolving roster of tenants.

HousingWire, Aug. 3, 2017--Brena SwansonA new report from S&P Global Market Intelligence suggested that mortgage servicing companies may be poised for a turn toward stability and growth thanks to the regulatory controls put in place after the downturn.

Mortgage Daily, Aug. 3, 2017Total U.S. bankruptcies filed, including commercial and non-commercial filings, worked out to 61,366 during July, dropping from an upwardly revised 66,789 the prior month.

HousingWire, Aug. 3, 2017--Jacob GaffneyWhile the industry as a whole is rowing in the same direction, efforts to streamline the appraisal process, Timothy Mayopoulous said, is a step in the right direction for Fannie Mae, which earlier this year refined its appraisal policies, which reduced overall appraiser responsibilities.

MarketWatch, Aug. 3, 2017--Andrea RiquierFresh language in the earnings releases reflects the desire of the regulator, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, to remind Congress of how precarious the state of affairs has become for the two. But it also serves as a reminder of how far the companies have come since their crisis-era bailout, not thanks to Congressional action, but in spite of its inaction.

Reuters, Aug. 3, 2017--Richard LeongFannie Mae, the largest U.S. mortgage guarantor, said on Thursday its net income edged up to $3.2 billion in the second quarter from the previous quarter's $2.8 billion due to higher credit-related income and investment gains.

Los Angeles Times, Aug. 4, 2017--Andrew KhouriChanges in the mortgage industry are afoot, with the goal of loosening some of the strict standards established after the subprime crisis--rules some blame for impeding sales.

American Banker, Aug. 1, 2017--Laura Alix (subscription)Life insurance companies are trying to chip away at banks' dominant market share in commercial real estate lending, the Mortgage Bankers Association said.

Mortgage Daily, Aug. 2, 2017Last month's government-insured reverse mortgage production was the slowest it has been since last year. But there was a year-over-year improvement.

HousingWire, Aug. 2, 2017--Ben LaneOcwen reported its second quarter earnings on Wednesday morning, disclosing that it posted a loss of $44.4 million in the second quarter, compared to a loss of $32.6 million in the first quarter, and a loss of $87.2 million in the second quarter of last year.

National Mortgage News, Aug. 2, 2017--Brad Finkelstein (subscription)Genworth Financial's U.S. private mortgage insurance business had an almost 50% increase in adjusted operating income, benefiting from lower-than-expected claim rates.

National Mortgage News, Aug. 2, 2017--Ian McKendry (subscription)Any change to the credit scoring models that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac use will have to wait until 2019, Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mel Watt said late Tuesday.

National Real Estate Investor, Aug. 1, 2017--Bendix AndersonInvestors spent a lot less money on apartment properties so far this year compared to 2016, but prices in the sector keep rising anyway.

HousingWire, Aug. 1, 2017--Ben LaneGoldman Sachs recently moved past the 40% mark in its $1.8 billion consumer relief obligation that is part of the company's $5 billion settlement reached in April 2016 over toxic mortgage bonds, the settlement's monitor said in a new report.

HousingWire, Aug. 1, 2017--Brena SwansonDespite recording a net loss for the second quarter, private mortgage insurer Radian Group managed to report a strong quarter for new mortgage insurance written.

Mortgage Daily, Aug. 1, 2017Residential loan performance at Fannie Mae was the best it's been in almost a decade. New business was also better.

National Mortgage News, Aug. 1, 2017--Bonnie Sinnock (subscription)When the government-sponsored enterprises began purchasing mortgages with down payments as low as 3%, there was concern that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would expose themselves to greater credit risk.

HousingWire, Aug. 1, 2017--Brena SwansonFreddie Mac's financial results remained steady in the second quarter, as it reported net income of $1.7 billion for the second quarter, slightly down from net income of $2.2 billion for the first quarter.