Delinquencies on non-qualified mortgages have been minimal and many borrowers with the loans seek to refinance relatively quickly, according to an analysis by Wells Fargo Securities. Among non-QMs with at least two years of seasoning that were included in nonprime mortgage-backed securities, more than 97 percent haven’t missed a payment, according to Wells. “Borrower credit performance has been robust so far, with delinquency rates and losses still subdued,” the analysts said. As of the end of July, only one non-QM in a nonprime MBS has gone...

An affiliate of Bayview Asset Management issued a $230.0 million non-agency mortgage-backed security this week largely stocked with seasoned mortgages, including one non-qualified mortgage. DBRS and Fitch Ratings placed AAA ratings on Bayview Mortgage Fund IVc Trust 2017-RT3, without putting much emphasis on the non-QM. Non-QMs had accounted for 2.1 percent of a $125.82 million MBS from Bayview that priced in July and 1.0 percent of a $208.13 million deal it priced in April. The sponsor of the deal will retain...

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is due for an overhaul, according to a proposal published by the Federal Reserve. Members of the Fed’s research staff suggest that banks should offer a type of mortgage with no downpayment requirements that essentially automatically refinances. Wayne Passmore, senior adviser in the Fed’s division of research and statistics, and Alexander von Hafften, a senior research assistant in the division, authored a working paper published by the Fed last week. Passmore and von Hafften cited...

Redwood Trust is preparing to issue its first non-agency mortgage-backed security backed by “expanded prime” mortgages. In the second quarter, Redwood acquired approximately $240.0 million of such mortgages, which have somewhat looser underwriting standards than what’s typically seen in the jumbo MBS market. Clayton Holdings reviewed 417 mortgages for the planned issuance, according to documents filed Aug. 30 with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The total unpaid principal balance of the loans wasn’t disclosed. The deal will include...

The Department of Housing and Urban Development this week announced changes to the FHA-insured reverse mortgage program, including a 200 basis point adjustment in the upfront mortgage insurance premium that may shut out some potential borrowers. HUD officials acknowledged during a press call that changes in both the upfront MIP and the HECM principal limit factors could reduce the number of borrowers initially by as much as 20 percent. Officials estimated that there are approximately 24 million seniors with untapped equity in their homes. “Overall, it is still a very large potential market,” said one official who spoke on background. “In the last few years, we did about 45,000 to 50,000 reverse mortgages annually. The net effect of all these changes is a better and safe HECM program for seniors. We’ll just have to wait and see how it plays out.” The revisions would help stabilize the ...

Working past age 62 is usually a less costly way to increase a senior’s Social Security benefit than borrowing a reverse mortgage, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. In a report published last week, the CFPB warned that a strategy touted by financial consultants to seniors – borrowing a reverse mortgage loan to get more SS benefits later – could result in significant costs that may erase gains from delaying SS benefits. The strategy would require older homeowners to borrow a reverse mortgage at age 62, the minimum age a person can begin collecting SS benefits, in order to delay claiming such benefits. This means retirees would use the proceeds from a reverse mortgage to replace the money they would otherwise receive from SS in the years between 62 up to their full benefit age of 66 (for those born before 1960) and 67 (for those born after 1960), or their maximum ...

The FHA this week extended temporary rules for approving condominium projects for FHA financing indefinitely. The extension will remain in place until the condominium rulemaking process is completed, the agency said in a mortgagee letter. Temporary approval requirements were first issued in 2012 and later modified in 2015. The current temporary provisions expired on Aug. 31, 2017. Under a proposed rule issued for comment on Sept. 27, 2016, elderly condominium owners would find it easier to obtain a Home Equity Conversion Mortgage. FHA proposes to reinstate “spot condo” approvals whereby individual units are approved by FHA rather than the entire condominium project as required under current rules. Spot-condo approvals would require property recertification every three years rather than the current two-year requirements. Processing recertifications would be streamlined under the ...

As Hurricane Harvey’s floodwaters recede, federal agencies that provide guarantees on mortgages are faced with the daunting task of identifying and assisting borrowers with government-backed mortgages in disaster-stricken areas of Texas. FHA, VA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Housing Service and Ginnie Mae have issued special relief guidance for approved lenders following Hurricane Harvey. The FHA has issued guidance to remind lenders and servicers that FHA-insured mortgages secured by properties in a presidentially-declared major disaster area are subject to a 90-day moratorium on foreclosures following a natural disaster. FHA also provides lenders an automatic 90-day extension upon expiration of the moratorium to begin or re-start foreclosure action or evaluate the borrower’s need for loss mitigation. In addition, FHA urged servicers to brush up on the 203(h) and the ...

The FHA has posted a quick-reference sheet on its website to help lenders navigate the agency’s new Loan Review System. The quick-reference sheet summarizes the most important information in the LRS user manual. The LRS is an electronic platform for single-family, quality-control processes that includes post-endorsement loan reviews, direct endorsement authority test cases, lender-monitoring reviews, and lender-self-reporting of fraud and other material findings. Defect taxonomy, a key LRS component, provides a streamlined method of identifying and capturing information about loan defects uncovered through individual loan reviews. Lenders have four opportunities to respond to FHA reviews. They may access the LRS to view the results of the review in detail but they may not edit or submit responses, upload documents, manage binder requests or create self-reports. When FHA requests a ...

Ginnie Mae Spokesperson Leaves Agency. Cynthia Adcock, director of communications and congressional relations at Ginnie Mae, will no longer be with the agency effective Sept. 4, 2017. Adcock will assume similar duties and responsibilities as a director with the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Michael Huff will handle media inquiries related to Ginnie Mae and congressional matters. FHA Lenders Settle Alleged Violations of FCA, FHA Requirements. The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of the Inspector General recently announced receipt of $44.3 million from separate settlements with two FHA lenders. The settlements resolve allegations of fraudulent claims and violation of FHA requirements against Financial Freedom of Austin, TX, and Prospect Mortgage of Sherman, Oaks, CA. On May 16, 2017, Financial Freedom, an FHA servicer, agreed to pay the ...