Ginnie Mae is seeking feedback from dealers, issuers and investors about whether to continue to maintain two separate mortgage-backed securities programs or to consolidate them under a single security. Comments are also being sought on other possible options. Bloomberg.com recently reported that Ginnie Mae sent out questionnaires to Wall Street broker-dealers for their input on the future of both the Ginnie Mae I and Ginnie Mae II MBS programs. The agency has been considering whether it should merge the programs for some time. The Ginnie Mae I single-issuer pool program with stringent pooling requirements began in ...
The overall delinquency rate among FHA-insured portfolios dropped during the first three months of 2013 while little change was seen in the foreclosure rate quarter over quarter, according to an Inside FHA Lending analysis of FHA data. Top FHA servicer data showed that 15.3 percent of the more than 7.68 million active FHA-insured loans were delinquent as of the end of the first quarter. Although elevated, that percentage was down from the 16.9 percent overall delinquency rate reported by FHA servicers at the end of the fourth quarter last year. The share of FHA-insured mortgages in foreclosure remained flat from quarter to quarter, a sign that the housing crisis may have ... [1 chart]
VA Issues Warning. Loans reported for guaranty more than 60 days after loan closing will be subject to automatic full review, the Department of Veterans Affairs warned. In guidance issued earlier this month, the VA reminded lenders that they must enter guaranty requests in the VAs webLGY system within 60 days of closing or risk going through another review and additional requirements. If a loan is guaranteed late, the lender must include a brief explanation and a certification that the loan was current when they submitted the file to VA. Timely reporting of loans for VA guaranty ensures ...
Although the HARP program had record volume in the first quarter, the program is showing almost no growth, according to exclusive survey figures compiled by Inside Mortgage Finance.
House Republicans were unmoved by pleas from HUD to soften the impact of sequestration and criticized the agency for a lack of commitment to fiscal reform.
Bank of America entered into a massive buyback settlement with Fannie Mae in January, but has yet to sell any 'purchase' loans to the GSE in 2013. However, this may change soon.
The federal agency caretaking Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac extended the streamlined refinance program for underwater mortgages at the government-sponsored enterprises for an extra two years, although it remains unclear how much gas is left in the tank. A new analysis of GSE securitization data by Inside Mortgage Finance suggests that activity under the Home Affordable Refinance Program increased by only 1.3 percent during the first quarter of 2013. A total of $69.0 billion of refinance mortgages with loan-to-value ratios exceeding 85 percent were securitized by Fannie and Freddie in the first three months of the year, representing the highest quarterly volume in the evolving programs four-year history. Most of the increase came...[Includes two data charts]
The long-awaited slowdown in residential originations may finally be at the doorstep of the nations largest banks, according to first-quarter results released over the past week by the giants of the industry including Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup and U.S. Bancorp. In general, gain-on-sale margins eroded or held steady, but most megabanks hiked the asset value of their mortgage servicing rights. And some, like Wells and U.S. Bancorp, continued to hold some of their agency-eligible mortgage originations on their books instead of selling them to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Revenues have peaked for everyone, Brian Foran, an analyst with Autonomous, told...