Seasonal housing-market factors pushed GSE single-family mortgage business higher in the third quarter, according to a new Inside The GSEs analysis of mortgage-backed securities data.Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac issued $213.81 billion of single-family MBS in the third quarter, a 10.4 percent increase from the previous period. The gain came from a 23.4 percent surge in purchase-mortgage business, which offset a 15.5 percent downturn in GSE refi activity. [Includes two data charts.]

MFA CEO Craig Knutson said he’s pleased the REIT has “gained traction on these new acquisition efforts, which involve relationships cultivated over the past year or more.”

Next Thursday, the Senate Banking Committee will hold a hearing on GSE pilot programs…

Private mortgage insurers appeared to gain market share in the third quarter of 2018 as purchase-mortgage lending surged in the agency market, according to an exclusive ranking and analysis by Inside Mortgage Finance. [Includes three data charts]

Stephanie Miller of Fannie Mae said the GSEs are working with SIFMA on the transition to the single security.

New nonagency deals are pending from loanDepot and New Residential as well…

HSBC will pay $765 million to settle charges brought by the Department of Justice...

Despite the good news, DBRS said if the economic environment becomes more distressed, some non-QM borrowers may come under pressure…

Fix-and-flip lender LendingHome, San Francisco, has surpassed the $3 billion market in originations...

In his report, KBW analyst Bose George said, “While Mel Watt, director of the FHFA, was questioned about some of these issues in past congressional hearings, this will be the first hearing to focus exclusively on this topic.”