Originations of interest-only mortgages declined in the first quarter of 2018 among a group of prominent IO lenders, according to a new ranking and analysis by Inside Nonconforming Markets. The 15 lenders originated an estimated $4.17 billion of IOs in the first quarter of 2018, down 24.9 percent from the previous quarter and down 17.4 percent from the first quarter of 2017. The drop in IO production was worse than the decline in total originations ... [Includes one data chart]
Originations of adjustable-rate mortgages declined in the first quarter of 2018 from the previous period, according to a new ranking and analysis by Inside Nonconforming Markets. ARM production slowed even with a rise in interest rates, and the products don’t appear to be popular with borrowers seeking purchase mortgages. An estimated $44.0 billion of ARMs were originated in the first three months of the year, down 20.0 percent from the fourth ... [Includes one data chart]
Redwood Trust raised $194.0 million this week with the sale of convertible senior notes. Redwood said it will use the proceeds for various business and investment activities. The Capital Corps will launch a non-qualified mortgage program later this year. “The Capital Corps’ nontraditional prime borrowers come from the estimated $100.0 billion of homeowners seeking mortgages with loan-to-value ratios of less than 65.0 percent who are turned ... [Includes three briefs]
The credit risk profile of incoming FHA business has shifted significantly since the beginning of last year, according to a new Inside FHA/VA Lending analysis of Ginnie Mae mortgage-backed securities data. The biggest development has been the growth of loans with high debt-to-income ratios. There has also been a significant increase in the share of refinance loans that are cash-out transactions. FHA officials are well aware of these developments, having publicly mentioned them in testimony on Capitol Hill and at industry conferences. Officials have also raised concerns about FHA loans with downpayment assistance, although the MBS data don’t seem to indicate that there has been much change on that score. Among FHA loans endorsed in April and May, only 41.9 percent were at or below the benchmark DTI test for qualified mortgages, which is 43 percent. Through 2015 and 2016, well over half of new ... [Chart]
The issues behind the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s draft FHA condominium rules are “too complex” but lenders may expect a final rule in September, said HUD Secretary Ben Carson. Carson’s announcement of a release date for the long-anticipated condominium rules eases the mounting pressure on the secretary and the department to finalize the draft rules. On June 18, 54 senators and 120 members of the House signed a letter urging Carson to implement the changes in H.R. 3700, the Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act, which would ease FHA requirements for financing condo purchases and refinancings. The bill was signed into law on July 29, 2016, and HUD published a proposed condo rule two months later. “We have been pushing it,” Carson said during a House committee oversight hearing this week. “It is a complex issue because when you are talking ...