The GSEs continued to see solid increases in purchase-mortgage business, which increased by almost 7 percent from July to August. It was the fifth straight monthly gain for the two.
Revised risk-retention requirements proposed last week by federal regulators for certain non-mortgage ABS and commercial MBS are somewhat looser than the standards initially proposed in 2011. Perhaps most significantly, “blended pools” would be allowed for commercial mortgages, commercial real estate loans and auto loans, allowing issuers to mix qualifying loans and non-qualifying loans in the same security. Securitized loans that don’t meet qualifying underwriting standards will be subject to the 5 percent risk retention as required by the Dodd-Frank Act. Blended pools would be eligible for reduced risk retention, as low as 2.5 percent. “The agencies believe...
Last month, senior staff from the Senate Banking Committee met with various industry “stakeholders” – including trade associations, consumer groups and academics – to hear their thoughts on housing finance reform and the fate of the GSEs.
If the agencies stick with their current plan to extend QRM status to any home loan that meets the “qualified mortgage” safe harbor, regardless of downpayment amount, private MIs would have to sell their product based on its economic value.
Purchase-money lending increased by a hefty 37 percent, climbing to an estimated $163 billion in the second quarter, according to figures compiled by Inside Mortgage Finance.
Some trade groups, including the California Mortgage Bankers Association and National Association of Realtors are not happy with the idea of lower loan limits.
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