Lower FHA Limits Won't Hurt Low End Market
A new university study found that the upcoming expiration of temporarily higher loan limits on government-insured mortgages won't have a negative impact on low- and moderate-income borrowers.

Getting More Out of Mortgage Leads
A common theme in recent marketing by mortgage lead services is the improvement of conversion rates. Several service providers are offering diverse systems and novel ideas to do just that -- including better mortgage lead education. Meanwhile, a recent report says consumers are migrating to lead-generating Web sites that increase their control of the process.

March is Busy Month for Mortgage Conferences
During the next three months, 70 mortgage and banking events and conferences are on the calendar, and more than half are happening next month. Listed on the schedule are a hard-money conference, a mortgage litigation forum and a pair of technology conventions. Las Vegas will play host city to two shin digs as will the nation's capitol. Several annual gatherings for state and regional groups are complemented by a smattering of regulatory agency workshops and educational summits.

Moral Hazard High for Strategic Defaults
Slowing the national foreclosure process is only putting off the pain, according to research that analyzed the long-term effects of foreclosures. The university study also indicated that borrowers who strategically default are creating a moral hazard that has their neighbors considering similar moves. One possible remedy, however, is a short sale that finances the deficiency balance.

Bright Outlook for Defaults
An improving economy and stabilizing housing market has one business school predicting that this year's originations have a lower risk of defaulting than loans originated in recent years.

Cutting Losses on Loan Defaults
A growing number of borrowers with negative equity are opting to abandon their mortgage obligations, though a Wharton professor has a possible solution for such strategic defaulters. But for those loans that cannot be saved, an expanding array of service providers promise to make the disposition process more efficient and less costly.

10 Million Foreclosures
By the time the current housing market downturn ends, 10 million foreclosures will have been completed, according to a lecturer from Harvard. He noted that while two-thirds of mortgages were originated by depository institutions in the 1980s, the share shifted by the 1990s to mortgage bankers who originated four-out-of-five mortgages but were "essentially" unregulated.

Risk of Delinquency Eases Again
The risk of default improved for the second quarter in a row, according to a new report that also found lower risk in towns with universities.