Mortgage production volume remained fairly steady in the second quarter as a growing purchase-mortgage market helped offset a weakening in refinance lending, according to a new ranking and analysis by Inside Mortgage Finance. Mortgage lenders originated an estimated $495.0 billion of home loans during the second quarter of 2013, down just 1.0 percent from the first three months of the year. That pushed year-to-date production volume to just shy of $1 trillion, and put the market 14.4 percent ahead of the pace set during the first six months of 2012. It figures...[Includes two data charts]
Some of the nations largest banks including Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo have begun cutting mortgage production workers as refi applications decline. But it remains to be seen just how many of the 215,000 full-time mortgage-related positions excluding loan brokers will see pink slips over the rest of the year. What were seeing is a natural outcome of contraction as the market slips and changes to a purchase business, said Dave Stevens, president of the Mortgage Bankers Association. He declined to give any job cut estimates, but predicted that residential lenders of all different charters and types will move to right-size their organizations. Some bearish industry officials believe...
FHA chief Carol Galante expressed concern about the absence of any provision in the bill that would ensure servicer accountability for their performance.
Ocwen will have plenty of "high touch" loans to work on when it finally takes control of the OneWest portfolio. Meanwhile, the second lien market is heating up.
Among the top 20 lenders in the nation, PennyMac and Nationstar had the highest growth rates, according to new figures compiled by Inside Mortgage Finance.