Although production and loan sales fell in the fourth quarter, 2020 was a banner year for mortgage banking operations at commercial banks and thrifts. (Includes two data charts.)

Banks continued to allow their portfolios of servicing for others shrink during a year when MSR production levels set records. (Includes data chart.)

After an anomalous spike in the third quarter, bank repurchase volumes returned to normal levels in the final three months of 2020. (Includes data chart.)

Banks reported $22.5 billion in mortgage banking income in 2020, according to call reports. Long-time industry leader Wells Fargo had a rough ride. (Includes data chart.)

Most publicly held banks reported substantial declines in mortgage banking income in the fourth quarter. But earnings for the full year were stellar, up about 78% from 2019. (Includes data chart.)

Banks and credit unions increased their mortgage production from the second to the third quarter, but not nearly as fast as state-licensed nonbanks. (Includes data chart.)

Not only did loanDepot have blowout earnings in 2020, but its CEO and founder took home a blowout paycheck. Are there more like it?

Researchers at the think tank focused on the presence of appraisal bias during refinancing transactions because such loans “lack an arm’s length transaction.”

Commercial banks and thrifts reported over $1 billion of mortgage repurchases during the third quarter. (Includes data chart.)

Correspondents increased their share in the conventional-conforming and government markets, as did wholesale-broker platforms. But TPO production was nearly shut out of the jumbo market. (Includes two data charts.)