One industry representative noted: “While it is still an outdated fax-based system, it is the most trustworthy in terms of verifying a mortgage applicant’s income information and prevents fraud.”

While top nonbanks increased their production by 9.5% from the third quarter, depository institutions grew their volume by just 1.8%.

“I haven’t been doing any deals, but I’ve been on the phone with clients a lot,” said one veteran servicing broker. “You might say they’ve been hyperventilating.”

Calabria’s remarks were part of a broader outline summarizing the impact the crisis has had on mortgage markets and the actions the FHFA has taken in response.

In the stock market, we trust. Right? Meanwhile: Ocwen to the rescue? (Too bad Ditech didn't survive.)

“That’s going to grow as we see more and more states that enter into a shelter-in-place status,” said Steve Gottheim, senior counsel at ALTA.

Those 21 states accounted for $919.3 billion of single-family business funneled through Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae into mortgage-backed securities issued in 2019.

“In fact,” said GSE regulator Mark Calabria, “if this goes on for more than two months, we’re going to be looking at stress for Fannie and Freddie"...

Mortgage guarantors and regulators are keenly aware of the financial disaster that could be in the making. Conference of State Bank Supervisors President John Ryan sent a letter to Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin encouraging the creation of a liquidity facility to support residential servicers.

Actions by the Fed to help the mortgage market haven't don't much for non-agency MBS. Issuance ground to a halt and a number of lenders suspended production.