The $490 million acquisition of CoreVest, a major player in the single-family rental market, will help Redwood diversify its revenue sources.

Several borrowers are opting for mortgages with balances right at the conforming loan limit even though interest rates on jumbos are often lower. Relatively tight underwriting standards for jumbos look to be the cause.

Presale reports for nearly a dozen non-agency MBS have been published in the last two weeks, including three deals from JPMorgan Chase.

JPMorgan Chase Bank has created a synthetic credit-linked note to transfer credit risk on a pool of jumbo mortgages. Unlike traditional MBS, loans in the transaction will remain on the bank’s balance sheet.

After contributing loans to various prime non-agency MBS in recent years, Quicken Loans is set to issue the first deal on its own shelf.

Originations of higher-priced non-government mortgages increased by 11% in 2018. The loans can’t receive safe harbor QM status and many higher-priced mortgages are required to include escrow accounts. (Includes two data charts.)

Issuance of non-agency MBS slowed near the end of the third quarter but presale reports for a number of deals have been published this month and more securities are on the way.

Originations of reverse mortgages are dominated by FHA loans. However, there’s a loan limit on FHA loans, allowing Reverse Mortgage Funding and other lenders to develop a market for proprietary products.

The CFPB is considering whether to provide QM status to mortgages that didn’t miss payments in the early years after origination. The proposal has support from some lenders.