big article - Money maze frustrates new TBW leaders - By Fred Hiers - Taylor, Bean & Whitaker Mortgage Corp.'s new leadership says the company resold or transferred billions of dollars worth of mortgages to multiple investors, each now claiming ownership of those assets. ...“It appears that trades were assigned to (Colonial) that had previously been sold or assigned to another lender, or other third party,” according to bankruptcy documents submitted by Taylor Bean's leadership. ... The resulting loss could exceed $1.5 billion.” ... - Ocala.com

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Fannie Mae Releases Workout Evaluator For HAMP Mods - Fannie Mae has introduced Workout Evaluator, a new Web-based technology tool that the company says automates key functions required of servicers to evaluate borrowers for the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP). - MortgageOrb

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getting better? - Mortgage delinquency at record high, but borrowers falling behind at slower rate - By Renae Merle - Washington Post

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Mortgage Data Leaves Bankers Uncertain of Trend - Any way you look at it, extraordinary numbers of people are having trouble paying their mortgage. What is less clear is the extent to which the problem is getting worse, better or is simply holding its own. - NY Times

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Lenders Bite the Bullet, Buy $3.1bn of Mortgages Back from GSEs - by DIANA GOLOBAY - HousingWire

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Soaring Short Sales Could Reduce 'Shadow Inventory' Backlog - Keith Jurow -  After several years of resisting short sales, the major banks have finally changed course. They have concluded that encouraging defaulted borrowers to pursue a short sale is preferable to waiting for the owner to leave, or worse yet, damage the house before being foreclosed. - Seeking Alpha

thoughts on housing and markets - Are Housing and Banking Signaling a Double Dip? - Richard Suttmeier - The Federal Reserve was worried about the fragile recovery in the housing market with the home buyer tax credits expiring April 30th. We saw mortgage applications drop 27.1% for purchases last week, which is a clear sign of this dilemma.  More than 10% of homeowners have missed at least one mortgage payment in the first quarter of 2010, which is a record high and up from 9.1% from a year earlier.  - Seeking Alpha