Barclays Capital analysts said in a report released yesterday that large region-specific note and REO auctions have become a regular feature in the past year.

In addition to national mortgage servicing settlement, Nevada has reached a side deal with Bank of America, state Attorney General Catherine Masto announced late Thursday.

The $26 billion 'robo-signing' settlement with five major servicing banks announced Thursday morning could yield nearly $35 billion in principal reductions, according to Housing and Urban Development secretary Shaun Donovan.With less than $20 billion of the settlement designated to principal reduction and refinancing underwater borrowers, secretary Donovan told reporters that the banks will not receive a dollar-for-dollar credit for reducing the principal amount of each loan.

A federal judicial panel denied a motion to include the Dallas County district attorney’s lawsuit against Merscorp in the ongoing multidistrict litigation (MDL) against the private loan registry in Phoenix.

The five largest bank servicers — Bank of America, Wells Fargo, JPMorgan, Citigroup, and Ally Financial /GMAC — today announced a $25 billion settlement with 49 state attorneys general (except Oklahoma), the U.S. Department of Justice, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Many financial analysts believe that the recent Federal Reserve data highlights the return of U.S. consumer borrowing.

The government-owned Ally Financial has issued an offering book on Residential Capital Corp. in the hope that it can finally unload its money-losing mortgage division and take the rest of the company public, according to investment bankers familiar with the matter.

Sales of commercial real estate loans that are in receivership have surged in the aftermath of CMBS defaults.

Mortgage lenders issued $30 billion of Ginnie Mae MBS in January, up 9% from the previous month, according to new figures released Thursday morning.

European securitizations have managed to show substantial muscle against a challenging economic environment, according to a Fitch Ratings report.

State and federal authorities held a press conference Thursday to announce a $25 billion settlement with the five largest mortgage servicers, and provided key details on how the money was being distributed and the amounts each institution is expected to pay.

Bank of America Corp. is limiting the number of refinance applications it accepts over the phone, telling borrowers who do not have an existing relationship with the bank that they may have to wait 60 to 90 days before their loan application can be processed, a BofA spokesman said Wednesday.