The Department of Housing and Urban Development has not conducted a single nonperforming loan sale in 2018 because apparently investors have found a quicker way to obtain newly foreclosed properties.

In an analysis of FHA’s fiscal 2018 audit of the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund, analysts believe the Department of Housing and Urban Development may be inclined to shrink FHA’s footprint modestly given the risk profile of its new business.

Home Equity Conversion Mortgage originations saw a modest 4.7 percent sequential fall in the third quarter as the downward volume trend for reverse mortgages continued. [Includes one data chart.]

The Department of Veterans Affairs this week laid the groundwork for changes to its current rules on VA-guaranteed cash-out refinance loans.

FHA forward mortgage production plunged in the third quarter, precipitated by a substantial drop in purchase activity. [Includes two data charts.]

Federal regulators last week proposed a significant expansion in the number of non-agency mortgages that will not need a full appraisal. Currently, non-agency mortgages with loan balances of less than $250,000 don’t need an appraisal if originated by a bank. The regulators proposed increasing the threshold to $400,000. Mortgages below the appraisal threshold still require an evaluation, just not a full appraisal. Banking regulators said the proposal is an effort to reduce ...

Among the top 15 servicers of subprime mortgages, only one grew its portfolio over the 12 months prior to the end of September, according to a new ranking and analysis by Inside Nonconforming Markets. The increase was posted by Citadel Servicing Corp., which is boosting its portfolio with originations of nonprime mortgages. Citadel handled a subprime portfolio with an unpaid principal balance of $1.80 billion as of September-end. The portfolio grew ... [Includes one data chart]

Did CNBC's Jim Cramer do any research on the mortgage industry before he opened his mouth?

The spread between interest rates for qualified mortgages and similar non-QMs has narrowed somewhat this year. The lower premium placed on non-QMs suggests that lenders are getting more comfortable with the liability associated with the loans. The findings were detailed recently by two economists at the Federal Reserve who had access to loan-level data from Optimal Blue. The data comprised loan applications and mortgage locks from January 2013 through September 2018 ...

Most major servicers of jumbo mortgages increased their portfolios in the third quarter, according to a new ranking and analysis by Inside Nonconforming Markets. Combined, 30 servicers handled an estimated $1.06 trillion of jumbo mortgages as of the end of September, up 2.7 percent sequentially and 10.7 percent from a year ago. Only four of the servicers posted lower jumbo portfolios on an annual basis, and one of the firms, Ocwen Financial, is under ... [Includes one data chart]