The average daily trading volume in agency MBS fell to $183.7 billion in June, the lowest reading of the year and another sign that all is not well for anyone who makes their living off of actual trading as opposed to being involved in new issuance. “There are a lot of people out there buying on credit and keeping MBS,” said Christopher Whalen, a senior managing director in the Financial Institutions Ratings Group at Kroll Bond Rating Agency. Whalen added...
Originations to first-time homebuyers perform worse than originations for repeat buyers, with the differences tied to factors beyond solely whether the borrower is a first-time homebuyer, according to new research from the Federal Housing Finance Agency. In a working paper published late last week, Saty Patrabansh, a senior economist at the FHFA, determined that the difference in performance between the first-time homebuyers and repeat buyers can be attributed to differences in the distributional make-up of the two groups and not to the premise that first-time homebuyers are an inherently riskier group. He analyzed...
The mortgage lending industry widely supports the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s proposal to extend to Oct. 3, 2015, the effective date of its transformative integrated-disclosure rule under the Truth in Lending Act and the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act. But more needs to be done, say those who have commented on the planned delay. The American Bankers Association, for example, said, “Given the unique circumstances posed by the TRID rulemaking, the only way to realistically ensure an orderly transition to the new regulatory framework – and to guarantee uninterrupted service to consumers – is to institute a subsequent supervisory transition period that restrains enforcement and liability during a three-month period following the proposed effective date.” For a variety of reasons, the ABA urged...
The big gains in business volume at the FHA and the Veterans Administration reflect the two agencies’ differing missions, and officials at both organizations are looking at ways to improve risk management practices. Ed Golding, principal deputy assistant secretary at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, said the FHA dominates the market for high loan-to-value lending to borrowers with credit scores below 680. While some view 680 as borderline subprime, it’s the median credit score for the country, he noted during remarks at a symposium sponsored this week by the Urban Institute. “Risk management is...
Three leading Democrats in Congress are pushing the Department of Housing and Urban Development to re-issue a request for comments regarding potential changes to the HUD-92900-A form. HUD proposed the changes in mid-May to little fanfare, though the members of Congress warn that the proposal will create a loophole giving “Wall Street banks a free pass at taxpayers’ expense.” The May proposal from HUD involves certifications on the HUD/VA Addendum to Uniform Residential Loan Application form. HUD proposed removing a loan-level requirement that FHA and Department of Veteran Affairs lenders certify that they haven’t been convicted of a violation of federal or state antitrust statutes within the past three years. In a letter sent to HUD this week, Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-OH, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-MA, and Rep. Maxine Waters, D-CA, said...
For mortgage companies that were hoping to go public this year, they might as well forget about it. As one industry analyst put it: “The IPO market isn’t even on life support. It’s just plain dead.” Although many privately held mortgage firms are enjoying a strong year in both lending and profitability, the initial public offering market is dormant for three reasons: Nationstar Mortgage, Ocwen Financial and Walter Investment Management Corp. This year, the once “big three” nonbanks have paid...
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray tried to sooth industry concerns about regulatory enforcement of the controversial integrated disclosure rule immediately following its implementation on Oct. 3. Appearing before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, Cordray amplified previous statements regarding compliance with the so-called TRID rule, which makes major changes to consumer disclosures under the Truth in Lending Act and the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act. “We worked...
While the Federal Housing Finance Agency takes its time deciding whether nonbanks should be allowed to use captive insurance units to become members of a Federal Home Loan Bank, real estate investment trusts appear to be ramping up their borrowings from the system’s advance window. At least that’s what Inside Mortgage Finance found when it recently conducted a spot check of mortgage REITs that have gained access to the FHLBank system via a captive insurance subsidiary. Redwood Trust, for example, had...
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