Specifically, the mortgages will be above the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac loan limit of $625,500. But before Redwood can buy its first jumbo loan, the Federal Housing Finance Agency must sign off on the effort.

It was also the lowest three-month volume since the fourth quarter of 2008, not long after dramatically higher “emergency” loan limits were put in place by the agencies.

Production of “agency jumbo” mortgages fell sharply in the first quarter of 2014 and is likely to drop even more as new FHA loan limits show up in endorsement data. According to a new Inside Mortgage Finance analysis, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the FHA saw $10.5 billion in single-family business with loan amounts exceeding the traditional agency limit of $417,000 during the first quarter of 2014. That was down 30.6 percent from the fourth quarter. It was also the lowest three-month volume since the fourth quarter of 2008, not long after dramatically higher “emergency” loan limits were put in place by the agencies. In comparison, originations of non-agency jumbo loans fell...[Includes three data charts]

The average combined loan-to-value ratio on the deal is 71.5 percent, one of the highest levels for the new era of jumbo MBS.

Redwood will have the opportunity to buy jumbo mortgages from FHLB members via the Chicago bank.

WinWater Home Mortgage, a New York-based conduit managed by several Wall Street veterans, is ready to market its first jumbo MBS, but has also made inquiries about non-prime transactions as well, according to traders and lenders familiar with the company. WinWater plans to issue a $249.47 million jumbo MBS, according to a presale report released late this week by Kroll Bond Rating Agency. Not only is the bond WinWater’s first deal, it represents the first new issuance in the sector since late April when Credit Suisse came to market. The average combined loan-to-value ratio on the deal is...

The Mortgage Bankers Association said the proposed cure would allow loans intended to be QMs to qualify as such regardless of an inadvertent excess in points and fees.

“This appears to be very good news and is a credit to our collective work with the Coalition for Sensible Housing Policy,” the National Association of Realtors told its members.

We’re hearing unconfirmed reports that the Federal Housing Finance Agency may not hire a chief executive and chairman for the common securitization platform project after all…

But there was some good news: Jumbos accounted for 18.7 percent of total originations in the first quarter of 2014, a level not seen since 2004.