As the Federal Housing Finance Agency works to prepare the industry for the single security and common securitization platform, officials are keeping a close eye on consistency in prepayment speeds between Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The single security and CSP are on target for implementation in 2019, according to a new FHFA progress update released in December. In that report, the FHFA described in more detail the processes it has in place to minimize variance in prepayment speeds between Fannie and Freddie mortgage-backed securities that have the same coupon, maturity and issuance cohort.

The GSEs’ low downpayment programs are gaining some traction among first-time homebuyers. According to an analysis by Inside The GSEs, 97 percent loan-to-value mortgages now represent close to 15 percent of first-time homebuyer mortgages sold to the GSEs. The high LTV programs have grown gradually, but steadily, since they were introduced. But they were slow to catch on. By the end of 2015, the high LTV programs represented 5 percent of the FTHB market, which grew to nearly 10 percent at the end of last year. They represented approximately 14 percent of first-timer mortgages in the third quarter of 2017. The top three banks originating these low downpayment loans are...

The fastest-growing segment is the Ginnie Mae market…

Moody’s said GSE participation will continue to erode the sector’s reliance on commercial MBS as a source of financing…

Of late, Impac’s share price has been trading at $11.00 a unit, just a tick above its 52-week low.

Of course, the Trump administration has a history of shooting first and asking questions later…

The spokesperson noted that Guaranteed Rate founder and CEO Victor Ciardelli “is still in control.”

Drivers for ride-sharing companies and other participants in the so-called gig economy largely work the jobs to earn extra money. But even with the supplemental earnings, many in the gig economy don’t expect to purchase a home any time soon, according to a survey by Fannie Mae. The lack of demand for mortgages from workers in the gig economy is significant because 16 percent of adults in the U.S. work in the sector, including ride sharing, food delivery, handyman services ...

Mortgages with high home price-to-income ratios tend to perform worse than mortgages with lower PTI ratios, according to economists at the Federal Reserve. The analysts suggest that PTI ratios are a helpful tool for gauging mortgage risk by tracking housing affordability. “Banks that have greater exposure of mortgages to high PTI regions have higher mortgage delinquency and charge-off rates and significantly higher probabilities of failure, even after controlling for ...

Mortgage origination volumes are expected to stay flat year-over-year in 2018 at $1.65 trillion, as modestly rising purchase-mortgage volume is partially offset by declining refinances. The one bright spot is the mortgage insurance sector, according to analysts’ outlook in 2018. Sluggish mortgage activity suggests modest revenue growth in the sector with one exception – mortgage insurance, according to a Keefe, Bruyette & Woods analysis. KBW expects its “outperform” ratings for ...