Freddie Mac’s efforts to reduce holdings of nonprime mortgages and nonprime mortgage-backed securities are proceeding at a faster pace than efforts at Fannie Mae, according to a new analysis by Inside Nonconforming Markets. The government-sponsored enterprises had a combined $161.12 billion in nonprime holdings as of the end of the second quarter of 2016, down 6.3 percent from the first quarter and down 20.4 percent from the second ... [Includes one data chart]

The GSEs have reduced their holdings of subprime MBS to just $17.5 billion.

All seven of the nation’s active MIs reported hefty increases in flow volume…

According to figures compiled by Inside The GSEs, Fifth Third doesn’t even rank among Fannie’s 40 largest customers and sells almost 70 percent of his home mortgages to Freddie Mac, based on July data.

The $1.5 billion offered by MIAC has an average interest rate of 4.22 percent and delinquencies of 2.65 percent.

Lenders originated home loans that included primary mortgage insurance at a hectic pace during the second quarter of 2016, according to a new Inside Mortgage Finance ranking and analysis. A whopping $196.23 billion of new mortgage originations carried private MI during the second quarter, including significant increases in both private MI and government-insured mortgage insurance. That was up 34.1 percent from the first three months of 2016, and represented the biggest quarterly total on record. Private MI posted...[Includes three data tables]

In the event of a severe economic crisis, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could need a bailout of up to $125.8 billion, according to a Federal Housing Finance Agency stress test released this week. The test of severely adverse scenarios, required by the Dodd-Frank Act for companies with total consolidated assets of more than $10 billion, took place in March and is based on Fannie and Freddie portfolios as of Dec. 31, 2015. The bailout would be needed on an incremental basis and would also depend on the treatment of the government-sponsored enterprises’ deferred tax assets. Under this hypothetical economic scenario, situations include...

Homebuyer counseling classes should expand and evolve, according to some in the industry who said such programs are critical to promoting successful homeownership. And there have been a few changes this year that speak to the growing importance of borrower education. Studies show that borrowers participating in homebuyer counseling classes are more likely to sustain homeownership than those who haven’t been counseled. But a newly published paper from the Urban Institute said...

The share of refi loans with scores of 740 or higher edged up from 57.8 percent in the first quarter to 61.6 percent in the second.

Senior-level mortgage executives are in demand these days, according to one recruiter...