Record-low mortgage interest rates powered a surge in refinance activity in agency mortgage-backed securities platforms during the second quarter of 2020, according to a new Inside Mortgage Trends analysis.

Lenders must conduct desk reviews of appraisals based on FHA standards...

n the first quarter, the top three HECM originators (American Advisors Group, Reverse Mortgage Funding and Finance of America Mortgage) accounted for $1.04 billion, or 26.8%, of total production…

The declines were fairly consistent across most of the major correspondent platforms.

Ginnie Mae said it is concerned that issuers could abuse buyouts and "undermine the integrity of the MBS program."

Timing is everything. The majority of the loans, 63.0%, went into forbearance status in April and many of these borrowers may have already made their May payment.

In her letter, Rep. Waters acknowledges the need to manage the risk associated with forbearance loans, bu recommends an alternative to the steep LLPAs leveled by FHA and FHFA. Instead, the congresswoman says those costs should be spread across the agencies’ broader single-family portfolios, resulting in “near-negligible costs on any individual loan.”

The supply of single-family MBS issued by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae grew another 1.4% in the first quarter, hitting $7.134 trillion.

And the good news? The company is once again originating (after suspending production in the spring) but only for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHA/VA products.

Cowen Research: "The issue is what happens in August and September if the government permits expanded unemployment benefits to expire.”