Income spiked at MFA Financial in the first quarter of 2023. Officials attributed the improvement to prudent risk management maneuvers.

Velocity Financial reduced its production of business purpose loans for the second consecutive quarter but remained profitable in the early months of 2023.

Republic First Bank exits mortgage business; LoanNex’s non-QM marketplace comes to LendingPad; Former Athas Capital CEO to launch non-QM shop; new non-agency MBS; Maxex debuts program for alternative-doc loans.

A growing community of non-QM lenders are providing funding for people working in the cannabis industry who can’t get traditional financing.

Angel Oak Mortgage operated at a breakeven level in the first quarter despite increased activity in new loan purchases and securitization.

Bank statement, debt servicing credit ratio and home-equity line of credit products are bringing new value to originators, according to LoanNEX.

After a lull around the end of the first quarter, a number of expanded-credit MBS have hit the market, with more deals planned.

The volatility in interest rates, elevated housing prices and a lag in rental growth numbers are all prompting more investors to lock in loans with debt service coverage ratios below 1.0.

CPFB revises methodology for APOR; Fitch downgrades PacWest’s CRT; LendingOne taps ex-Sprout vice president for TPO business; DBRS adds new due diligence provider to “acceptable” list.

Issuance doubled compared with the fourth quarter of 2022. However, issuance slowed considerably in March following the failures of two regional banks. (Includes data chart.)