For years, banks have been dominant players in the non-agency jumbo space. One strategy: Originate a loan, place it in portfolio and earn a spread. But thanks to rising rates and increased regulatory scrutiny, the economics aren’t as attractive.
It’s all how you look at it. Right? The early results show a turnaround in bank mortgage lending on a sequential basis for the second quarter but ugly drops compared to a year ago. The problem: 7% mortgages.
Home prices were expected to come down this year due to affordability issues stemming from high interest rates. Instead, home prices look fairly firm thanks to housing supply/demand dynamics.
If ever there was a Horatio Alger story for the mortgage industry it’s Angelo Mozilo, the co-founder of Countrywide Financial. The recently deceased Mozilo proved that nonbanks could compete with the megabanks. Then the subprime crisis happened.
The mortgage layoff streak has ended, thanks in part to improving originations in the second quarter. But don’t look for a V-shaped recovery in the numbers. The Federal Reserve still controls the table.