A steep drop in VA-backed securities issuance in the first quarter of 2017 suggests that Ginnie Mae’s efforts to curb serial refinancing of VA loans are working, according to agency officials. Speaking on a panel at the annual VA Lenders Conference in Kansas City, MO, this week, Ginnie executives said that a change in pooling requirements for streamlined refinance mortgages appears to have curbed a destructive appetite for refinancing new VA loans within six months of closing. The practice has caused faster prepayments in Ginnie mortgage-backed securities pools and smaller payouts to investors. VA refi volume fell 42.7 percent from the previous quarter (see chart on page 2), contributing significantly to the 32.2 percent decline in total VA loan securitization during the period. John Getchis, senior vice president at Ginnie Mae, said he does not think the churning trend will continue because the ...

When it comes to selling Ginnie Mae mortgage servicing rights the past two years, it’s been mostly a bear market, but all that may be changing soon. At least that is what sellers and their merger and acquisition advisors hope. Mark Garland, executive vice president of MountainView Financial Solutions, Denver, said that of late, “We have seen a few Ginnie trades go off at a level closer to full value.” Garland told Inside FHA/VA Lending that he expects this trend to continue with prices tightening over the summer “provided rates hold and [prepayment] speeds stay largely in line with expectations.” And if that happens, there could be an increase in the ability of FHA/VA lenders to securitize excess cash flows. But that’s getting a little ahead of the equation. Over the past 24 months, the Ginnie MSR market has been difficult for two reasons: the fear of lawsuits/sanctions tied to FHA lending, and fast ...

The initial material defect rate on sampled FHA loans targeted for a post-endorsement technical review was down in the fourth quarter of 2016 from the previous quarter, according to the FHA’s latest quarterly loan review update. FHA’s Lending Insight reports the material defect rate prior to curing fell to 49 percent in 4Q16 from 53 percent in the previous quarter, based on an analysis of 5,267 sampled FHA loans endorsed between Oct. 1, 2016, and Dec. 31, 2016. Of the loans sampled, 75 percent were purchase-money mortgages; 10 percent were streamlined refinances; 7 percent rate and term refinances, and 8 percent, Home Equity Conversion Mortgage loans. Twenty percent of the sample, 1,081 loans, were conforming while 25 percent, or 1,313 loans, were found to be defective. About 13 percent of the loans were denied endorsement. On the other hand, approximately 41 percent of loans ...

The Trump White House has yet to fill key positions at the Department of Housing and Urban Development and agencies that fall under the HUD umbrella, including the FHA and Ginnie Mae. According to industry officials who claim to have some knowledge of the process, the administration is seriously considering Pam Patenaude to be the deputy HUD secretary. Patenaude is president of the J. Ronald Terwilliger Foundation for Housing America’s Families. She served as HUD assistant secretary for community, planning and development during the George W. Bush administration. Meanwhile, Michael Bright has been mentioned as a candidate to be the next president of Ginnie Mae. Bright currently serves as director, Center for Financial Markets at the Milken Institute. During his career he has worked for mortgage lender/servicer PennyMac, investment banking firm BlackRock and ...

FHA-insured jumbo lending fell slightly in the fourth quarter of 2016 although year-over-year results were a lot better. Production of conforming-jumbo purchase and refinance loans insured by the FHA slipped 0.9 percent in the fourth quarter, a slight bump on the way to an annual jumbo origination total of $26.9billion. Year-over-year, FHA jumbo production was up 5.6 percent from 2015. Conforming-jumbo loans represented 9.8 percent of FHA loans securitized last year, according to data compiled by affiliated newsletter Inside Mortgage Finance. Purchase mortgages comprised 64.9 percent of jumbo loans insured by FHA in 2016 and 98.7 percent were fixed-rate loans. Nonbanks comprised the top five FHA jumbo lenders. Wells Fargo, which closed the year with $423.8 million in FHA jumbo originations, was in sixth place. Quicken Loans led the field with $802.5 million of ... [ Charts ]

The Department of Veterans Affairs and mortgage industry stakeholders are working to resolve the churning problem in the VA Home Loan Guaranty program. It appears the agency is unhappy that Ginnie Mae’s recent pooling policy change was only partially effective in discouraging early solicitation of VA purchase loans for refinancing. Apparently, the practice is continuing and is adversely affecting mortgage-backed securities investors who are not getting full return on their investments. The Mortgage Bankers Association said a handful of lenders and mortgage brokers are still engaging in serial refinancing of VA purchase loans within six months of closing, causing faster prepayments in Ginnie MBS pools. Ginnie announced a policy change, which took effect on Feb. 1, 2017, clarifying that streamline refinance loans may be delivered into Ginnie MBS pools only if, at the ...

More than 11 percent of FHA servicing outstanding was delinquent in 2016, mostly in the 30-60 day categories, with banks dominating the FHA servicing market. An estimated 7.77 million FHA loans are currently being serviced, of which 6.93 percent were 30 to 60 days behind on their monthly payments at the end of last year, according to an Inside FHA/VA Lending analysis of FHA servicing data. Seriously delinquent loans (90-days plus overdue) accounted for 4.90 percent of all FHA loans outstanding. FHA delinquencies spiked in the fourth quarter of 2016, primarily in the 30-day category, which increased 55 basis points over the period. On the other hand, overall FHA delinquencies remained flat year-over-year. Banks comprised four of the top five FHA servicers. They are, in sequential order, Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, Cenlar FSB, and US Bank. PennyMac, in fifth place, is the ... [Charts ]

The Mortgage Bankers Association is urging Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson to rescind current guidance and prohibit future FHA financing of properties encumbered by a Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) tax lien. The guidance, which the Department of Housing and Urban Development implemented in July last year, should be eliminated unless the PACE lien is clearly subordinated to the FHA loan and national, standardized consumer protections are in place, the MBA said. The MBA said it has significant concerns with the risk posed by PACE financing to traditional lien priority and the FHA, as well as the lack of consumer protections. “Unfortunately, [current PACE guidance] does not reduce these concerns – it amplifies them,” the letter warned. PACE loans were developed to help finance energy-efficient retrofits, such as solar panels, energy-saving appliances and ...

Production of Home Equity Conversion Mortgage loans was down in 2016 with an estimated $14.9 billion originated last year, compared to $16.0 billion the previous year. Year-over-year, total HECM volume fell 6.4 percent. Purchase loans accounted for 85.9 percent of FHA-insured reverse mortgages produced over the 12-month period. Originations, however, rose by 8.0 percent in the fourth quarter from the previous quarter due to a spike in HECM lending in December. Purchase HECMs with an adjustable rate appeared to be the product of choice among HECM borrowers in 2016. American Advisors Group continued to dominate the market, closing 2016 with $2.1 billion in HECM originations for a 14.0 percent market share. One Reverse Mortgage was the second top HECM producer of the year with $855 million, while Reverse Mortgage Funding was in third place with $649.8 million. Liberty Home Equity Solutions hung on ... [ 1 chart ]

Solicitation of VA purchase loans for streamline refinancing within weeks of closing is apparently continuing despite Ginnie Mae’s efforts to stop the harmful practice. The Mortgage Bankers Association has expressed concern that guidance on pooling eligibility for streamlined refinance loans, which Ginnie issued in October last year, was far less effective than expected. Although the aggressive refinancing trend has slowed due to Ginnie’s action, there are still “pockets of that activity” being reported, said Pete Mills, MBA senior vice president. Refinancing a veteran’s purchase mortgage less than six months after its origination is not in the vet’s best interest because it strips equity from the house and results in higher financing costs, said Mills. While the rapid refi trend involves only a small number of loans in Ginnie mortgage-backed securities pools, investors do not get the full benefit of their investment because of early prepayment. Mills said there are a handful of lenders and brokers that ...