Latest News

Brokers Gain Share in FHA/VA Lending
September 27, 2023
Brokers saw the biggest sequential increase in FHA/VA business, with volume up 59.1% from the first quarter to $13.35 billion.
Lenders Look for CFPB Reform Rather Than Dismantling
September 27, 2023
“No one wants the CFPB to go away, no one wants the rules to be unenforceable,” said Nanci Weissgold, a partner at the law firm Alston & Bird.
FDIC Self-Reflects on First Republic Failure
September 27, 2023
FDIC examiners determined that the bank could have done more to encourage new borrowers to sign up for adjustable-rate mortgages.
Near-Term Outlook for Originations: Bleak
September 27, 2023
“It’s horrible out there,” said Mark Shenkman, CEO of Priority Financial, a nonbank based in Calabasas, CA.

Expanded Credit
Expanded-Credit Lending Roars Back in Second Quarter
The rise in expanded-credit originations in the second quarter aligned with overall trends in the mortgage market. (Includes data chart.)
Originations
ARM Originations Recover Slightly After a Slow Start
Production of adjustable-rate mortgages increased by 25% from the first to the second quarter. However, the overall share of ARMs declined. (Includes data chart.)
Ginnie Mae Issuance
Ginnie Securitization Stabilizes in August
The volume of FHA loans securitized into Ginnie Mae mortgage-backed securities increased 2.3% between July and August, while VA loan production sent to Ginnie declined at a similar rate. (Includes two data charts.)
Investors
REITs Retreat Slightly from MBS in Second Quarter
Although REITs’ total MBS holdings were down in the second quarter, the industry recorded a modest increase in its agency MBS investment portfolio. (Includes two data charts.)
ABS
Bank ABS Holdings Fade in 2Q23, Values Still Pressured
Bank holdings of auto ABS were up in the second quarter due to a big gain at U.S. Bank, while Ameriprise reported a sharp drop in its portfolio of commercial/industrial ABS. (Includes two data charts.)
Originations
Jumbo Market Flourishes as House Prices Climb in 2Q23
The pace of house-price appreciation has slowed markedly over the past year, though there are still some hot pockets. And the FHFA's HPA index is pointing to another significant increase in the conforming loan limit for 2024. (Includes three data charts.)

Inside Mortgage Finance

GNMA Still Leads Agency MSR Gains, ARMs Rising
A handful of top servicers fell out of the market during the second quarter, while banks reported a huge gain in their ARM portfolios. (Includes three data charts.)
Proposed Bank Capital Rule Would Hurt Lending, Servicing
Trade groups representing large banks and mortgage lenders warn that a July proposal to increase capital requirements for large banks could push depositories further from the mortgage market.
- The MSR Picture: Prices Strong, Fewer Sales?
- GSE Credit Score Change Slows, Waiting on Data
More Inside Mortgage Finance

Inside MBS & ABS

Agencies Lead Modest Gain in Residential MBS Market
September 21, 2023
Money-market and mutual funds continued to invest heavily in the MBS market during the second quarter. Some of the burden may shift to foreign investors, experts suggest. (Includes two data charts.)
Supers Issuance Level in 2Q23, REMICs Decline
September 21, 2023
The GSEs effectively ended commingling of collateral in Supers securitizations last year. Despite a sharp reduction in the commingling fee, there was only a modest rebound in the practice in the second quarter. (Includes two data charts.)
SFA Offers ESG Disclosures for MBS, Auto ABS
September 21, 2023
SFA published best practices for ESG disclosures for residential MBS and auto ABS. The association is starting with a limited number of disclosures and plans to expand the effort.
Auto ABS Issuance Accelerates in Third Quarter
September 21, 2023
Issuance of auto ABS in the third quarter of 2023 has topped issuance from the second quarter. Issuers are seeing strong demand from investors despite rising defaults. An auto worker strike is also introducing some uncertainty.

More Inside MBS & ABS

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Inside Nonconforming Markets

Jumbo Lending Through Retail Channel Continues to Grow
September 22, 2023
The retail channel accounted for 85.9% of jumbo originations in the first six months of the year among a group of major lenders tracked by this newsletter, up from 80.2% in the first half of 2022. (Includes data chart.)
FDIC Finds Faults in Oversight of First Republic
September 22, 2023
The FDIC found that stronger regulatory supervision could have made First Republic more resilient following the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank.
M&A Shuffles First-Lien Holdings Ranking
September 22, 2023
Helped by its acquisition of First Republic Bank, JPMorgan Chase overtook Wells Fargo to have the largest first-lien portfolio among banks and thrifts in the second quarter. (Includes data chart.)
Alternative-Doc Loans Pique Lenders’ Interest
September 22, 2023
Lenders are considering alt-doc loans to drum up originations in a highly compressed market.

More Inside Nonconforming Markets

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Inside Mortgage Trends

Brokers Boost Conventional-Conforming Market Share in 2Q
September 15, 2023
The broker channel gained market share across the three major mortgage-product categories during the second quarter of 2023. In the conventional-conforming sector, the broker share hit 23.6%. (Includes two data charts.)
Climate Risk Stressing Insurers, Servicers
September 15, 2023
As severe weather events batter major housing markets, borrowers are finding it difficult and expensive to obtain homeowners insurance, according to panelists at a Mortgage Bankers Association conference.
Bank Repurchase Activity Slowed in First Half of 2023
September 15, 2023
Commercial banks reported a slight sequential increase in repurchases in the second quarter. But at the midway point this year, buybacks were down sharply compared to the first half of last year. (Includes data chart.)
Mortgage Industry Comes with Unique Cyber Risks
September 15, 2023
Michael Nouguier, chief information security officer at Richey May, said the public-facing nature of loan officers’ work can expose them to targeted attacks.

More Inside Mortgage Trends

Inside FHA/VA Lending

Brokers Boost Share in Government Originations
Government-insured mortgage originations grew across all three lending channels in the second quarter, with brokers gaining market share from the correspondent channel. (Includes data chart.)
VA Slows Rollout of Loss-Mitigation Service Program
The VA loss-mitigation service program will more likely be launched next year, Michelle Corridon, deputy director of policy at VA, said during a recent MBA conference.
Drop in HECM Volume Continues Through First Half
FHA home equity conversion mortgage endorsements declined by 16.4% from the first to second quarter of the year. (Includes three data charts.)
Small Lenders Target Underserved Borrowers
Panelists at a Community Home Lenders of America roundtable discussed the challenges in targeting low- to moderate-income borrowers, including first-time and minority homebuyers.

More Inside FHA/VA Lending

Premium Newsletter Content

Inside Mortgage Trends
Brokers Boost Conventional-Conforming Market Share in 2Q
The broker channel gained market share across the three major mortgage-product categories during the second quarter of 2023. In the conventional-conforming sector, the broker share hit 23.6%. (Includes two data charts.)
Inside Mortgage Finance
GNMA Still Leads Agency MSR Gains, ARMs Rising
A handful of top servicers fell out of the market during the second quarter, while banks reported a huge gain in their ARM portfolios. (Includes three data charts.)
Inside Nonconforming Markets
Jumbo Lending Through Retail Channel Continues to Grow
The retail channel accounted for 85.9% of jumbo originations in the first six months of the year among a group of major lenders tracked by this newsletter, up from 80.2% in the first half of 2022. (Includes data chart.)
Inside MBS & ABS
Agencies Lead Modest Gain in Residential MBS Market
Money-market and mutual funds continued to invest heavily in the MBS market during the second quarter. Some of the burden may shift to foreign investors, experts suggest. (Includes two data charts.)
Inside the CFPB
Chopra, Broeksmit Warn of Consequences If CFPB is Defunded
CFPB Director Rohit Chopra and Mortgage Bankers Association President and CEO Robert Broeksmit believe the consequences of deeming the bureau’s funding unconstitutional would be disastrous for regulated markets, especially housing finance.
Inside The GSEs
GSE Securitizations Slip for Second Month in a Row
Lenders sold $55.8 billion in loans to the government-sponsored enterprises in August. The GSEs boosted their share in new MBS issuance to 61.2% in the second quarter, but three in 10 conventional-conforming mortgages did not end up in Fannie/Freddie MBS. (Includes two data charts.)
Inside FHA/VA Lending
Brokers Boost Share in Government Originations
Government-insured mortgage originations grew across all three lending channels in the second quarter, with brokers gaining market share from the correspondent channel. (Includes data chart.)

Inside The GSEs

GSE Securitizations Slip for Second Month in a Row
Lenders sold $55.8 billion in loans to the government-sponsored enterprises in August. The GSEs boosted their share in new MBS issuance to 61.2% in the second quarter, but three in 10 conventional-conforming mortgages did not end up in Fannie/Freddie MBS. (Includes two data charts.)
FHFA Willing to Be Flexible with Credit Score Change
FHFA is showing that it’s willing to listen to industry feedback as the regulator works to transition the GSEs to new credit scoring processes. This week the agency delayed one aspect of the transition and noted plans to conduct listening sessions.
More Inside The GSEs

Origination volume forecasts predicted a slowdown this year compared with last. Now that we’re halfway through 2023, is that what you’re seeing?