At a GSE reform hearing, Sen. Mike Crapo, R-ID, chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, called small lenders “fixtures in their communities...”

Since the introduction of the single-security effort, pricing differences between Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac MBS have just about been eliminated, thanks in part to prepayment speeds converging. A paper recently published by the Urban Institute found that back in 2012 and 2013, Freddie’s 3.0, 3.5, and 4.0 percent coupons traded at more than a $0.30 discount to Fannie Mae’s. But, by 2014 and 2015 that number narrowed to about $0.15, and by early 2017 the pricing differences had largely come together. The authors called...

However, the legal settlement likely will ding sector quarter earnings by $34 millon to $36 million…

A lot of the ABS oomph came from the $2.08 billion whole-business securitization by Domino’s Pizza...

A housing crisis in America? Maybe the Russians can help...

John Shrewsberry, CFO of Wells Fargo, told the bank’s investors last week that Wells is taking some steps to boost mortgage originations, including an emphasis on interest-only loans. “We are making some modest changes to generate new loan originations, including offering interest-only jumbo mortgage loans to high quality borrowers ...,” Shrewsberry said during Wells’ earnings call. However, when asked for further details, Tom Goyda, a spokesperson for Wells, downplayed ...

The $210.45 million mortgage-backed security Angel Oak Capital Advisors issued earlier this month had the tightest execution of any MBS backed by non-qualified mortgages, according to Sreeni Prabhu, Angel Oak’s co-CEO and CIO. “We believe investors like Angel Oak’s vertically integrated issuer model,” Prabhu said. “This is unique in the marketplace and offers them a ‘pure play’ exposure to Angel Oak’s origination and underwriting capabilities.” ... [Includes six briefs]

The VA home loan guaranty program continued to grow faster than the FHA program during the second quarter of 2017, according to a new analysis and servicer ranking by Inside FHA/VA Lending. At the end of June, Ginnie Mae mortgage-backed securities pools included $548.04 billion of VA loans, a 3.3 percent increase over the previous quarter. Compared to a year ago, the volume of VA loans was up a hefty 15.6 percent. The $1.055 trillion of FHA loans in outstanding Ginnie MBS was still nearly twice the volume of VA loans. But the FHA total was up a more subdued 1.8 percent from March and by 5.4 percent from a year ago. One reason the VA market grows somewhat faster than the FHA is that it loses fewer loans to default. For starters, the VA delinquency rate is lower – 3.03 percent in the second quarter of 2017 vs. 5.52 percent for FHA. Over the past three and a half years, the ... [ Charts]

The House Appropriations Committee this week approved a FY 2018 spending bill for the Department of Housing and Urban Development with a $135 million allocation for information technology upgrades in lieu of a proposed lender fee. The set-aside also covers quality control and risk management improvements as well as other administrative costs. The recommended funding is $5 million more than the FY 2017 enacted level for administrative contract expenses and $25 million below the budget request. Approved by a vote of 31 to 20, the bill provides HUD with $38.3 billion in discretionary spending for FY 2018, down $487 million from the current level. The House bill authorizes $400 billion for loan guarantees under the FHA Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund, including the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage program, and $500 billion for Ginnie Mae. Ginnie will also receive $25.4 million for agency staffing, which is ...

An internal watchdog audit alleges that the Department of Housing and Urban Development has been auctioning distressed notes to investors with no formal guidance or procedures in place. In a recent audit report, the HUD Office of the Inspector General said the department did not conduct rulemaking or develop standards for its single-family note sales program. The IG said it performed the audit due to the large amount of FHA claims paid on note sales as well as public concerns over the creation and administration of the program. In addition, the IG has never audited the program. In 2002, HUD referred to the initial note sales program as the Accelerated Claims Disposition Demonstration Program. The department later renamed it the Loan Sales Program, and subsequently to its current name: Distressed Asset Stabilization Program. DASP accepts assignment of eligible, defaulted single-family mortgage loans in ...