Mortgage production volume remained fairly steady in the second quarter as a growing purchase-mortgage market helped offset a weakening in refinance lending, according to a new ranking and analysis by Inside Mortgage Finance. Mortgage lenders originated an estimated $495.0 billion of home loans during the second quarter of 2013, down just 1.0 percent from the first three months of the year. That pushed year-to-date production volume to just shy of $1 trillion, and put the market 14.4 percent ahead of the pace set during the first six months of 2012. It figures...[Includes two data charts]
Voting largely along party lines, the Republican-held Housing Financial Services Committee this week approved H.R. 2767, the Protecting American Taxpayers and Homeowners Act, by a 30-27 margin, advancing the measure to the House floor for consideration a mere two weeks after it was filed. The focal point of the committee’s debate was the conspicuous absence of a government mortgage guaranty to replace the backing provided for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgage-backed securities over the years. Democrats such as Massachusetts Rep. Stephen Lynch painted the GOP measure as an “ideologically extreme and dangerous bill” that would destroy the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage if signed into law as is. The bill by Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling, R-TX, would end conservatorship of the GSEs within five years and put them into receivership, eliminate their government charter and liquidate any remaining assets...
The Federal Housing Finance Agency considers community-based lenders a “critical” component for lawmakers to consider as they move to lay the foundation for a new housing finance system, an FHFA official said during a hearing this week of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance and Investment. “As we move to reform our nation’s housing system, it is important to ensure that community-based lenders are able to fully participate in the new system,” said Sandra Thompson, the FHFA’s deputy director for the Division of Housing Mission Goals. “There should not be a significant difference between how large and small lenders are treated when securitizing residential mortgage loans.” Thompson said...
During the debate, Committee chairman Jeb Hensarling accused Democrats of protecting the status quo by defending the current Fannie and Freddie dominated regime.
NAR's oposition falls primarily in two areas: The PATH Act does not include an explicit federal guaranty and the bill dramatically restructures the FHA.
In general, mortgage-related earnings were strong at the nation's banks in the second quarter, but clearly earnings "leakage" is underway. And yes, gain-on-sale is starting to slip.
Both supporters and detractors of a House Republican bill aimed at comprehensive mortgage finance reform told members of the House Financial Services Committee this week the proposal has room for improvement, but the author of the proposal is pulling out all the stops to get the legislation on the fast track despite a nearly complete lack of bipartisan support. This week’s hearing, called by Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-TX, committee chairman and author of the Protecting American Taxpayers and Homeowners Act, was designed to gather input on the bill with an eye toward marking up the PATH Act before the House adjourns for its August recess. The bill would put...
With legislation to replace the government-sponsored enterprises not likely to be enacted until after the 2014 election, the Mortgage Bankers Association is proposing five steps administrators can take now to ensure a smooth transition without disrupting the nation’s housing finance system. At a press briefing this week, MBA President and Chief Executive Officer David Stevens rolled out the trade group’s five-point plan that could be immediately implemented by the Federal Housing Finance Agency and/or Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac without the need for legislation. At the top of the MBA’s list and the tallest order of the five recommendations is...
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