FHA and VA are calling on servicers to provide special relief to furloughed federal workers and contractors as the partial government shutdown neared a full month with no end in sight.

Delinquency rates for FHA and VA loans in Ginnie Mae mortgage-backed securities rose in the fourth quarter of 2018, but loan performance was generally stronger, according to a new Inside FHA/VA Lending analysis. [Includes four data charts.]

The Structured Finance Industry Group names Bright as president; PennyMac offers HELOCs; Annaly ups its acquisition of expanded prime/non-qualified mortgage and seasoned residential whole loans in 2018; Angel Oak establishes a bank statement review team.

Mortgages originated with a balance between $10.0 million and $20.0 million have surged in recent years, according to an analysis by CoreLogic.

The expansion-minded New Residential Investment Corp., New York, seems to have a thing for self-employed borrowers: Most of its recent non-agency MBS deals are stuffed with the product.

Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase are set to issue separate prime non-agency mortgage-backed securities that are significantly larger than their previous deals.

Angel Oak Companies is set to issue the largest post-crisis nonprime mortgage-backed security.

Originations of non-agency mortgages have taken a hit since the ability-to-repay rule came into effect, according to an analysis published by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau last week.

To better compete with banks, several prominent nonbank lenders recently launched new non-agency products, including prime jumbo mortgages and non-qualified mortgages.

The average combined loan-to-value ratio on mortgages in jumbo mortgage-backed securities spiked towards the end of 2018, according to a new analysis by Inside Nonconforming Markets. [Includes two data charts]