A healthy housing recovery boosted mortgage origination volume during the second quarter of 2014, but production remains at relatively sluggish levels, according to a new market analysis and ranking by Inside Mortgage Finance. Single-family mortgage originations totaled an estimated $295 billion during the second quarter, up 25.5 percent from the first three months of the year. The first quarter of 2014 was the worst production environment for the mortgage industry since the end of 2000, even falling below the mark set at the depth of the financial crises in the fourth quarter of 2008. In fact, the most recent April-to-June cycle brought...[Includes three data charts]

The top 25 originators accounted for an estimated 62.6 percent of new production. That was the lowest top-25 market share since 2000.

Are officials at HUD worried that JPM's Jamie Dimon may follow through on his threat to leave the FHA program? Not in the least.

The 10 groups question “whether it is appropriate for the GSEs to target private sector returns while in conservatorship.”

One critic of the report on nonbank risk had this to say: “It’s just ridiculous what they [the IG] get away with. There’s risk in every business. Don’t they get it?”

“There’s lots of talk of companies being for sale right now,” said Paul Hindman, managing director of Management Advisors Executive Search, “but not too much talk of deals closing.”

Mortgage industry representatives are quite leery about the CFPB proposal. The comment period ends August 22.

Flagstar, a thrift that is also the largest remaining depository in the table funding sector, earned $25.5 million in the second quarter compared to a $78.9 million loss in 1Q.

While affluent borrowers prefer to obtain mortgage financing from their primary bank, some in this category are willing to shop, particularly when competing lenders offer lower interest rates or more attractive loan products.

While re-REMIC issuance is currently increasing, volume is nowhere near the levels seen in 2009 and 2010 when $60 billion in such product came to market.