RMBS

Regulators and a Home Loan bank have asked First Horizon National Corp. for information about some of its securitizations, executives said Friday.

Bank of America mid-week told its retail loan officers nationwide that the lender will halt, for now, originations of cash-out refinancings, citing what it calls a “surge of refinancing activity” and capacity problems.

It appears that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are starting to see their market shares erode. The same might be said of Ginnie Mae.According to figures compiled by ASR sister publication National Mortgage News, the three mortgage guarantors accounted for 84.54% of originations in the third quarter, compared to 91.75% in 2Q.

Robust attendance is expected at the American Securitization Forum's (ASF) ASF 2012 to be held in Las Vegas' ARIA hotel and convention center starting this Sunday, Jan 22. The conference will last until Wednesday, Jan 25.

The head of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) is calling on his brethren at other trade groups to work together with MBA to forge coordinated policies to “reestablish a vibrant” housing finance system in the U.S.Speaking to financial services executives and lobbyists at the Exchequer Club on Wednesday, MBA president Dave Stevens said Congress and the Obama Administration continue to take a haphazard approach to reviving the housing market.

Ginnie Mae is in the process of hiring at least 40 new employees, which would increase the secondary market agency's staff by one-third.

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York has sold $7.014 billion worth of assets from its Maiden Lane II (ML II) portfolio via a competitive process to Credit Suisse.

The Bundesbank, Germany’s central bank, plans to shed roughly €2 billion ($2.6 billion) of distressed property loans tied to the Lehman Brothers' debacle, according to a Financial Times report today.

Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan said the ongoing settlement talks between the federal government, state attorneys general, and the nation's largest servicers have produced a "package of programs that we believe will be very positive" for the housing market.

Data provider Lender Processing Services (LPS) reported today December 2011 month-end mortgage performance statistics derived from its loan-level database of close to 40 million mortgage loans.