Holdings of first-lien mortgages by banks and thrifts increased in the third quarter, according to an Inside Nonconforming Markets analysis of call reports. Banks and thrifts held $2.07 trillion of first liens in their portfolios at the end of September, up 1.2 percent from June and 4.3 percent from a year ago. The holdings have largely been boosted by jumbo mortgages along with loans eligible for sale to the government-sponsored enterprises ... [Includes one data chart]

With 2018 winding down, issuers of non-agency mortgage-backed securities introduced two new deals this week. Neuberger Berman is set to issue its second expanded credit MBS of the year while Verus Mortgage Capital is planning its second deal backed by nonprime loans for investment properties. Neuberger Berman’s Homeward Opportunities Fund I Trust 2018-2 will be a $320.1 million deal and Verus Securitization Trust 2018-INV2 will be a $254.8 million issuance. Sprout Mortgage ...

Brokers and correspondents looking for nonprime lenders to work with should consider the benefits provided by firms with vertical integration, according to a recent white paper by Citadel Servicing Corp. Citadel happens to be a vertically-integrated lender with wholesale and correspondent operations along with a servicing platform. The lender defined vertical integration as the combination of two or more stages of production at one company as opposed to the stages ...

The FHA has announced that protocols in place for second appraisal requirements for certain Home Equity Conversion Mortgage loans are now fully automated.

Home-equity lending remains one of the soft spots in the mortgage market, as the supply of loans outstanding continued to shrink and new lending volume remained anemic in the third quarter. [Includes three data charts.]

Negative equity – or even just the perception of it – is the most important determinant of default rates, according to a recent study by Collateral Analytics.

Retail originations declined more than third-party production in the three major mortgage-product categories during the third quarter of 2018, according to a new analysis by Inside Mortgage Trends. Based on survey data from a broad cross-section of lenders, retail originations fell 8.8 percent from the second to the third quarter. The wholesale-broker sector was down 1.9 percent, while correspondent production posted a 1.9 percent increase. The data ... [Includes two data charts]

The correspondent channel has continued to gain market share of jumbo mortgages as production of such loans has shifted to purchase financing, according to a new analysis by Inside Nonconforming Markets. Correspondents accounted for 21.7 percent of third-quarter jumbo mortgages originated by lenders that report data to Inside Mortgage Finance. The sector’s market share has increased for three consecutive quarters. Correspondents accounted... [Includes one data chart]

The threshold for what constitutes a jumbo mortgage will increase by 6.9 percent in 2019 as the Federal Housing Finance Agency set new loan limits this week. The baseline conforming loan limit for the government-sponsored enterprises will increase to $484,350 from $453,100 in 2018, and for most high-cost areas, the limit will rise to $726,525 from $679,650. The FHFA annually adjusts loan limits for mortgages delivered to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac based on its home price index ...

Most major servicers of jumbo mortgages increased their portfolios in the third quarter, according to a new ranking and analysis by Inside Nonconforming Markets. Combined, 30 servicers handled an estimated $1.06 trillion of jumbo mortgages as of the end of September, up 2.7 percent sequentially and 10.7 percent from a year ago. Only four of the servicers posted lower jumbo portfolios on an annual basis, and one of the firms, Ocwen Financial, is under ... [Includes one data chart]