Correspondent originators and mortgage brokers saw the biggest increase in production during the third quarter of 2017, although retail lending was still the dominant channel, according to a new ranking and analysis by Inside Mortgage Finance.

Originations of jumbo mortgages increased in the third quarter of 2017 compared with the previous period, according to a new ranking and analysis by Inside Nonconforming Markets. But through nine months of the year, production was down compared with 2016 and the sector is losing market share as a handful of major lenders are seeing significant declines in their jumbo production. Demand for jumbo mortgages has declined somewhat, according to lenders ... [Includes one data chart]

The sudden firing late last week of Wells Fargo’s consumer and mortgage chief Franklin Codel for an unspecified personnel matter sent a clear message to the executive ranks of the company that it will not tolerate any behavior that puts the firm in a negative light.

It’s been almost a week since the biggest staffing news to hit the mortgage industry this year – the early departure of Richard Cordray from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau – and the Trump administration has yet to name either a permanent replacement or even an acting director. Legal uncertainty may be the reason why.

Originations of so-called expanded-credit mortgages among a group of 15 lenders were essentially level in the third quarter of 2017 compared with the previous quarter, according to a new ranking and analysis by Inside Nonconforming Markets. The lenders had a total of $10.61 billion of expanded-credit volume in the third quarter, up 1.7 percent from the previous quarter. Expanded-credit loans include non-qualified mortgages, nonprime mortgages ... [Includes one data chart]

The 30-day delinquency rate increased significantly as of the end of the third quarter of 2017, with hurricanes taking a toll on mortgage performance, among other factors.

The sale of mortgage banking franchises and asset-related acquisitions are gaining traction as the year draws to a close, but dealmakers aren’t expecting any blockbuster moves before yearend. According to interviews conducted by Inside Mortgage Finance with investment banking advi-sors, many lenders remain profitable and are enjoying a 2017 that turned out to be better than expected in terms of origination volume.

Flagstar Bank has announced a new loan program that will benefit cash-strapped borrowers in low- and moderate-income communities who want to purchase a house.

FHA single-family endorsements rose 2.0 percent in the third quarter from the prior quarter as more borrowers took out purchase loans and nonbanks remained in control of the market during the period. The FHA endorsed $62.1 billion of forward mortgages during the third quarter, which brought total production over the first nine months of 2017 to $182.7 billion (excluding reverse mortgages), a 2.5 percent decline from 2016. Fixed-rate loans continued to comprise nearly all of FHA’s business. Adjustable-rate endorsements totaled $935.3 million for the first nine months of 2017, up from $701.7 million a year ago. FHA purchase activity was up 4.4 percent to $48.5 billion in the third quarter while annual volume increased 2.6 percent from 2016. Purchase loans accounted for 73.6 percent of total FHA endorsements for the nine-month period. Of the $182.7 billion of FHA loans endorsed during the ... [Charts]

Senior homeowners are expected to have a wealth of home equity to tap into as they reach re-tirement, according to a new study by the Urban Institute. The institute analyzed the Federal Reserve’s 2016 Survey of Consumer Finances released this fall and concluded that 3.3 million low- and moderate-income seniors have more than $775 billion in un-tapped housing wealth.