Service Providers Scooped Up
Several recent acquisitions of mortgage industry service providers include an agency delivery service, a commercial mortgage analysis firm and a mortgage industry public relations firm. Also being acquired is a company that claims to be one of the biggest default service providers.
Flagstar Inflates Fundings, Lowers Losses
Quarterly and annual originations increased at Flagstar Bancorp Inc., while quarterly losses fell. But delinquency and annual earnings didn't fare so well as commercial mortgage assets declined.
Banks Continue to Tighten Lending Standards
Although banks have eased up on increasing restrictions for many types of lending, commercial mortgage guidelines continued to tighten. While fewer banks made fewer changes to restrict the issuance of home-secured credit lines, borrowers showed less interest in such products.
Berkshire Unit New No. 3 Commercial Servicer
A recent investment by billionaire Warren E. Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. has prominently placed the company among the nation's biggest commercial mortgage servicers. The top servicer held on to its top ranking, and a single firm ranked as both the biggest government servicer and agency servicer.
The Warehouse Line
Six mortgage banking firms -- including one multifamily lender -- recently negotiated warehouse lines-of-credit for $280 million. But the president of one of those firms warned that warehouse financing is still in short supply.
SunTrust Delinquency Improves But Fundings Fall
Residential delinquency has declined for four consecutive quarters at SunTrust Banks Inc. Also lower were commercial delinquency, quarterly losses and home-loan originations -- which sank for the second consecutive quarter and are likely to fall again.
PNC's Residential Business Deteriorates
Residential originations tumbled at the PNC Financial Services Group Inc., while mortgage earnings declined and delinquency deteriorated. But overall earnings and commercial mortgage delinquency improved. Headcount at the mortgage unit, meanwhile, fell.
The Bankruptcy Journal
Wells Fargo & Co.'s home loan unit lost an appeal on a mortgage it mistakenly neglected to record prior to the borrower's bankruptcy. But a Bank of America Corp. subsdiary had more luck maintaining its lien position in another bankruptcy case. Meanwhile, a subsidiary of a commercial mortgage firm has filed bankruptcy.
Hotel Delinquency Soars
Delinquency on securitized hotel mortgages increased nearly 300 basis points during the last two months of the year. Performance on loans backed by other types of commercial properties wasn't much better.
