RMBS

Freddie Mac this afternoon released its single-family seller/servicer guide bulletin where the GSE announced its changes to its Freddie Mac Relief Refinance Mortgage – Same Servicer and Relief Refinance Mortgage – Open Access offerings.

In 3Q11, fixed-rate loans comprised over 95% of refinance loans, according to Freddie Mac's Quarterly Product Transition Report that was published today.

Fitch Ratings started a quarterly report that details its U.S. home price projections.

House and Senate conferees have agreed to restore the $729,750 maximum loan limit for Federal Housing Administration (FHA)-backed mortgages for two years – but left the GSE cap unchanged.

PennyMac Mortgage Investment Trust recently entered into a master repurchase agreement with Bank of America that allows a subsidiary of the publicly traded REIT to sell — and later repurchase — new originations in an aggregate principal amount of up to $200 million.

Mortgage servicers seem to be caught between a rock and hard place when it comes to foreclosures: their legal practices are being scrutinized by state attorneys general for sloppy paperwork while the GSEs pile on fees for delays in loss mitigation work.

The acting director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) told a Senate panel this morning that the agency is moving ahead with "private" risk sharing opportunities between Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac and firms outside of the government's control.

The Justice Department began sending letters Monday to servicemembers who are entitled to $20 million in damages from Bank of America Corp. for alleged violations of the Servicemember Civil Relief Act.

Home prices, on average, ended August at $205,000, an almost 4% drop from last year, according to new figures compiled by Lender Processing Services (LPS), Jacksonville, Fla.

The National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) announced this afternoon it will receive $165 million from Citigroup and Deutsche Bank Securities to settle claims of wrongdoing in the sale of MBS to failed corporate credit unions.