Purchase-mortgage originations jumped 44.3 percent from the first quarter of 2014 to the second quarter, according to a new Inside Mortgage Finance analysis and ranking, with first-time homebuyers representing about 43.9 percent of agency activity in the sector. Purchase mortgages accounted for 64.1 percent of total mortgage production during the second quarter. That’s the highest purchase share since 1995, when financing for home purchases represented 67.2 percent of total originations. At the midway point of 2014, purchase-mortgage originations were up...[Includes four data charts]

The Federal Housing Finance Agency is pushing back against the findings of its Inspector General that the agency rushed a mandated new representation and warranty framework “despite significant and unresolved operational risks” to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Announced in September 2012 and implemented Jan. 1, 2013, the framework relieved sellers from certain reps and warrants, including those relating to credit underwriting and eligibility of the borrower and the property that were formerly effective for the life of the loan. It allowed for repurchase relief to seller/servicers if mortgages acquired by the government-sponsored enterprises after the effective date had acceptable payment history for 36 months. And the GSEs apparently weren’t...

Time is not a friend to the housing finance system so long as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac remain in government conservatorship with no endgame in sight, according to the former head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Former FHFA Acting Director Edward DeMarco, now a senior fellow in residence for the Milken Institute’s Center for Financial Markets, told attendees at this week’s Bipartisan Policy Council’s housing summit in Washington that the ongoing conservatorships of the two government-sponsored enterprises – now in the sixth year – will continue to distort the market and place taxpayers at risk. “The conservatorships are...

The FHFA partially agreed with the IG's first recommendation and flatly rejected the second.

Although there appears to be strong interest these days in mortgage banking firms, the outlook isn’t particularly bright for commercial banks.

“The conservatorships are a huge barrier to entry for private capital,” said former FHFA Acting Director Edward DeMarco.

The Mortgage Bankers Association wants the FHFA to push Fannie and Freddie to go easy on mortgage buybacks.

Is it time to sell shares in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac?

Ranieri and Goodman are worried that the creation of a single GSE security could morph into a drawn out and multi-year process.

Investors are paying up for distressed mortgages these days, fueling talk that the market might see more in the way of securitizations. “Buyers of non-performing loans want to securitize,” said Brian Dunn, senior vice president of MountainView Capital Group. “They like the [real estate mortgage investment conduit] structure.” According to Dunn, the securitization of nonperforming mortgages “has taken off...