Redwood Trust nearly doubled its net income in the first quarter, helped by the quick aggregation and sale of jumbo mortgages.

The real estate investment trust also plans to acquire business-purpose loan originator Lima One.

Non-QM impairments decline; non-agency forbearance rate improves; non-agency reverse mortgage lender settles with CFPB; Redwood paying for its employees’ MI; PCMA partners with various advisors.

Goldman Sachs Mortgage Company has acquired more than $800 million of non-QMs this year and is set to issue a $291 million MBS.

Prime non-agency MBS issuance continued to flow in April, helped by some new players. Expanded-credit activity has been limited recently, with a downturn in demand.

Mortgage originations declined by 11% in the first quarter at First Republic while Redwood increased its lock volume by 21% from the fourth quarter.

Non-agency originations of higher-priced mortgages declined by 35% on an annual basis in 2020. The higher-priced designation is a proxy federal regulators use for subprime mortgages. (Includes two data charts.)

Redwood is trying to shift blockchain from a buzzword to practical technology for the non-agency MBS market. The firm made an investment in Liquid Mortgage, a blockchain-focused startup.

After focusing on fix-and-flip lending in Connecticut for years, Sachem Capital is now lending in 10 states. The lender recently completed debt sales to fuel its growth.

CSBS scaling back proposed standards for large nonbank servicers; SFA offers disclosures for non-agency MBS performance; non-agency forbearance increases; non-agency mortgage conduit launches; Redwood invests in finance company involved in SFR/bridge lending; PCMA expanding geographically.