Originations of non-agency jumbo mortgages continued to increase in the second quarter of 2013, according to a new ranking and analysis by Inside Nonconforming Markets. The growth was fueled by banks offering highly competitive interest rates in an effort to retain jumbos in portfolio. Wells Fargo was the top-ranked jumbo lender through two quarters in 2013, by a wide margin. The lender had $21.87 billion in jumbo originations in the first half of 2013, accounting for 19.4 percent of ... [Includes one data chart]

Federal regulators next week will propose a new version of the controversial rule setting risk-retention requirements for issuers of non-agency mortgage securities that are not backed by qualified residential mortgages. Among other significant changes, the new proposed rule will likely eliminate premium capture cash reserve account requirements, according to the American Securitization Forum. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has a meeting scheduled for Aug. 28 to discuss ...

Two Harbors Investment is set to issue its first non-agency jumbo mortgage-backed security. The real estate investment trust is working on building its jumbo conduit operations, but in the meantime, Two Harbors plans to securitize mortgages it purchased from Bank of America. Two Harbors’ $434.17 million Agate Bay Mortgage Trust 2013-1 is set to receive AAA ratings with credit enhancement of 7.70 percent for the top-rated tranche. Mortgages to be included in the security have seasoned for ...

Fitch Ratings updated its loss model criteria for non-agency jumbo mortgage-backed securities this month, including new default estimates that vary by origination channel. Other rating services take the origination channel into account when rating new jumbo MBS, but not necessarily to the extent that Fitch has taken. “Fitch has determined that loans originated through a direct retail channel have a lower default risk than those originated through a broker, correspondent or wholesale channel,” the rating ...

With credit standards loosening somewhat, some commercial banks are listening to pitches from “private-money” lenders that are searching for warehouse lines, but so far it’s been a case of more smoke than fire. During the subprime meltdown of 2007, banks and Wall Street firms exited the nonprime warehouse sector and have yet to return. According to warehouse consultant Michele Perrin, several banks are willing to make warehouse lines on private-money mortgages, but only up to $5 million per deal ...

From the start of the Home Affordable Modification Program through the end of 2012, mortgages serviced for the government-sponsored enterprises accounted for the largest share of HAMP Activity. However, beginning this year, mortgages in non-agency mortgage-backed securities and loans in portfolio have overtaken GSE mortgages in terms of total HAMP activity. As of the end of the second quarter of 2013, non-agency mortgages accounted for 51.2 percent of the 1.21 million ... [Includes one data chart]

Servicers last week rejected offers from Richmond, CA to purchase 624 mortgages located in the city. Richmond now plans to seize the mortgages via eminent domain but has yet to make the move and faces significant opposition from mortgage industry participants. The five servicers participating in the $25 billion national servicing settlement have provided borrowers with $51.33 billion in gross relief through the end of the second quarter of 2013, according to the settlement’s monitor ... [Includes five briefs]

FHA lenders have gradually stretched to originate loans for borrowers with more modest credit scores in recent quarters, although these borrowers typically are better positioned to keep up with their payments, according to an Inside FHA Lending analysis of data released by the agency. The average credit score for single-family loans endorsed in the second quarter of 2013 was 693 – the lowest such average in nearly four years. This is partly the result of a shift toward more purchase-money mortgages, which generally have ... [1 chart]

Parties to trustee lawsuits challenging a city’s use of eminent domain to deal with foreclosures are gearing up for a face-off at an injunction hearing Sept. 13 in federal district court in San Francisco. The city of Richmond, CA, the defendant in the lawsuit, has suffered setbacks in the last few days and has yet to make good on its threat to initiate eminent domain proceedings after investor trustees rejected its offer to purchase distressed mortgages for restructuring. Wells Fargo and Deutsche Bank, acting as trustees for a group of ...

Redwood Trust had a $2.6 billion pipeline of non-agency jumbo mortgages at the end of the second quarter of 2013. While that usually wouldn’t cause much concern for the real estate investment trust, the loans were originated before interest rates on 30-year fixed-rate non-agency jumbos spiked by 100 basis points. The increase, beginning in mid-May, caused spreads on non-agency jumbo MBS to widen significantly. However, officials at Redwood stressed this week that the non-agency MBS market didn’t ...