After years of holding onto investments in non-agency mortgage-backed securities even as prices declined significantly, the government-sponsored enterprises are preparing to sell some of their $101.5 billion in non-agency MBS holdings. Freddie Mac is offering $1.0 billion in non-agency MBS for sale with plans to unload as much as $5.0 billion this year, if pricing for the securities remains strong. A spokesman for the GSE said the sales are part of an effort to meet goals set by ... [Includes one data chart]

As more firms contemplate issuing jumbo MBS, there are growing concerns that there could be a few speed bumps along the way, namely rising whole loan prices, and an increase in the cost of money for investors that use swaps to fund their purchases of the AAA-rated tranches. The increase in whole loan prices is less of a concern, because it was somewhat anticipated given the “hot” nature of the market. Over the past few months, prices for jumbo whole loans have risen to as high as 103, compared to 101 and 102 last year. Craig Cole, a jumbo consultant and a former top production manager at Union Bank, San Francisco, told...

One of the things that is unusual about this housing recovery is the extent to which it has been supported by investors – and not just individuals looking for rental property. Institutional investors have jumped into the rental home market in a way not seen before, and that is benefitting some industries you might not expect, or in ways you may not have anticipated. “In traditional housing recoveries, individuals and households provide the bulk of the demand the market needs to rebound,” said ...

Standard & Poor’s, along with Moody’s Investors Service, last week settled a lawsuit involving their pre-financial crisis securities ratings before it got to a jury trial, but S&P suffered a setback with another ratings challenge lawsuit brought by Connecticut state officials. Experts predict a pickup in MBS litigation ahead of pending filing deadlines for legal challenges. S&P and Moody’s reached the confidential settlement with a group of 14 plantiffs led by Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank and King County, WA. Abu Dhabi and the over investors filed suit in 2008 and 2009 in Manhattan federal court claiming that the defendants misled them by allegedly inflating ratings on two structured investment vehicles they purchased. By settling the investors’ lawsuit, which claimed $638 million in losses, S&P and Moody’s were able...

Issuance of securities backed by servicer advance receivables has increased significantly recently and is expected to continue to grow, fueled by nonbank servicers and demand from investors. However, analysts at Standard & Poor’s warn that servicers are increasing their use of unconventional features and product types, which could increase risks for investors. S&P rated $7.8 billion in servicer advance securities from the second quarter of 2012 through the end of the first quarter of 2013, up from $7.7 billion from the two-year period ending in the first quarter of 2012. S&P said issuance is expected to increase as more and more servicing assets trade hands and servicers use securitization to fund their collateral acquisitions. Recent issuance has been driven...

“It’s not a money problem, there’s plenty of money out there,” Martin Hughes, president and CEO of Redwood Trust, said last week at a hearing by the House Financial Services Committee. “The difficulty now is the uncertainty of investors that need to be waved back into the water.” Hughes said non-agency mortgage-backed security issuers need to make adjustments for investors. “I believe we need to first address investors’ demands for better risk mitigation, transparency, and alignment of interests ...

The Department of Housing and Urban Development this week issued more detailed guidance to changes in the FHA Lender Insurance Program based on a final rule published in the Federal Register in January 2012. Under the LI program, high-performing direct endorsement lenders have the authority to conduct pre-endorsement reviews and endorse loans. Mortgagee Letter 2013-12 supersedes guidance HUD issued last month and provides additional details on initial and continuing eligibility for Lender Insurance. It also talks about HUD monitoring of program participants as well indemnification procedures, which were discussed in ...

Wall Street has unveiled policy proposals calling for premium and guaranty fee adjustments and reduced loan limits for FHA and the government-sponsored enterprises to jump start the return of private capital to the U.S. housing market. The American Securitization Forum said the current level of government activity in the mortgage market is neither sustainable nor advisable. The government, through FHA, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, directly or indirectly guarantees 90 to 95 percent of new mortgage originations in the country, the trade association said. While everyone agrees the government’s role in housing should be reduced over the long term, there is ...

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has announced plans to consolidate multifamily hubs nationwide and close a number of its smaller field offices. The plan would result in an estimated $61.9 million in annual costs savings for HUD after completion and affect approximately 900 of the department’s 9,300 employees. No employee will be laid off as a result of the restructuring, according to HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. Donovan said the changes are part of a broader, long-term effort that will allow HUD to continue to deliver high-quality services by adapting modern best practices. The decision to ...

Nonbank mortgage servicers continued surging into the top ranks of servicers during early 2013, more than doubling the size of their stake in the market compared to a year ago, according to a new market analysis and ranking by Inside Mortgage Finance. The seven largest nonbank servicers accounted for $1.40 trillion in mortgage servicing at the end of the first quarter, an increase of 68.9 percent in just three months. Compared to a year ago, the combined portfolio of these companies was up 144.3 percent. Ocwen Financial rose...[Includes one data chart]