Participants in the non-agency market note that the loans are more difficult to underwrite than typical agency mortgages. But given that agency refi business is falling, there’s still plenty of business to be had in the non-agency space.
Impac increased its emphasis on non-QM lending in the first quarter of 2022 and ended up taking a loss. Officials at the nonbank said hedging and other activities couldn’t overcome volatility in the non-QM market.
The SEC has a proposed rule that would mandate climate-related disclosures. The Federal Housing Finance Agency and federal banking regulators are also incorporating climate-change assessments.
Rising interest rates helped to push up income tied to mortgage servicing rights more than they reduced income from originations among a group of publicly-traded nonbanks. Results varied to some extent, with one large mortgage company even taking a loss in the quarter. (Includes data chart.)
If projections by the MBA are correct, interest rates for mortgages are levelling off, which should relieve some of the pressure lenders are facing on originations and profit margins.
The decline in jumbo production in the first quarter largely tracked the overall drop in mortgage originations. Many banks kept their underwriting standards for the loans unchanged while demand decreased. (Includes data chart.)
The two REITs have seen success even as profits from mortgage lending decline thanks to diversification efforts involving business-purpose lending and venture capital investments.
The rejection rate on applications for non-agency jumbo mortgages declined for both purchase mortgages and refis in 2021. One top lender had a denial rate of less than 1.0%. (Includes data chart.)
Rather than encouraging lending in flood-prone areas, mandatory flood insurance requirements limit mortgage originations for borrowers with low income or low credit scores, researchers at the NY Fed found.