The mortgage servicing industry has lost the benefit of the doubt with judges, regulatory agencies and attorneys representing debtors, and according to a panel of industry experts, proper documents and filing procedures are a critical tool for buyers and sellers to make the most of investment opportunities in distressed and delinquent mortgage portfolios.

Moody’s Investors Service downgraded several key U.S. banks late Thursday, impacting the ABCP operations of these banks.

Fitch Ratings thinks that the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) plans to clarify the rules on putback requests might be positive for the U.S. housing market if it leads to lending beyond the “pristine” borrower profile.

Six out of 10 homeowners who received a loan modification stopped paying their mortgage again after 18 months, but there may be a modest silver lining buried in the high recidivism rates.

Full-service loan advisor DebtX has announced that it plans to sell more than $358 million of participations, loans, and leases from the Tennessee Commercial Bank receivership on behalf of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is coming under industry pressure to delay finalizing a merger of the RESPA/TILA mortgage disclosure forms until the qualified mortgage and qualified residential mortgage rules are finalized.

Freddie Mac reported 30-year fixed mortgage rates set new historical lows for the week ending June 21 at 3.66% with an average 0.7-point.

Robert A. Harris has joined due diligence provider Clayton Holdings as general counsel, according to a release from the firm.

The Federal Reserve’s announcement that it will be extending Operation Twist disappointed mortgage investors as the statement did not include any additional mortgage purchases, according to a JPMorgan Securities midday report released Wednesday.

The limits on a national bank or thrift's exposure to a single borrower will now also include counterparties in derivatives transactions, according to an interim final rule released Wednesday.

The Federal Open Market Committee released a statement Wednesday confirming expectations that it would extend its “Operation Twist” program as well as continue reinvestment of principal payments in its agency MBS and debt holdings, prolonging downward pressure on long-term rates.

This week, the Mortgage Banker Association’s Government Refinance Index dramatically climbed to 8872 from 4010, which is a 120% week-over-week increase.