Retail platforms benefited the most from a huge increase in agency refinance business from the first to the second quarter. First-time buyers held on in a precarious housing market. (Includes two data charts.)

Under the CFPB proposal, which aims to establish a level playing field between the GSEs and the non-agency market, most loans will still be QMs, but there might be fewer incentives to sell the loans to the GSEs.

Nomura analyst Matthew Howlett says PennyMac's strong performance is a sign of boom times for mortgage lenders. He expects four or five IPOs of nonbank originators in the next nine to 12 months.

A COVID-19 infection in the Dallas office of document custodian BNY Mellon is causing MBS transactions to backup.

In his semiannual report to Congress on Tuesday, Fed Chair Jerome Powell described the MBS market as "vital to the flow of credit in the economy."

Ginnie MBS issuance caught up with strong primary market originations of FHA and VA loans, while Fannie and Freddie held steady in the conventional-conforming sector. (Includes data chart.)

The two real estate investment trusts saw red ink in the first quarter as they were forced to sell assets when prices plummeted. MFA raised capital this week while AGMIT is considering its options.

Instead of larger, multi-issuer uniform MBS pools, FHFA wants seller/servicers to closely monitor the prepayment speeds of their broker/correspondent channels to ensure closer alignment of Fannie/Freddie pools.

There’s a growing fear that Ginnie Mae buyouts may soon spike as nonbanks join the “party” to protect themselves.

To ensure the uniform MBS is a “continued success,” the FHFA has asked Fannie and Freddie to be watchful of “key patterns and measures.”