Profits (and profitability) drive the decision to sell a mortgage company. Several lender/servicers are at an inflection point or soon will be. In sum, the rest of 2021 should be interesting.

JPM upped its MSR portfolio by roughly $45 billion in 3Q21. Good thing because the asset is rising in value. Will other commercial banks follow suit?

Trade groups run a victory lap over the Biden administration decision to end Trump-era restrictions on the GSEs.

Non-QM lenders believe the market is going to grow. The optimism has yet to be reflected in market share, but there’s always next year.

It’s assumed that third-quarter originations will be down compared to 1Q and 2Q, but lenders remain sanguine about the short term. Also, some are finding solace in non-QM production.

Jumbo mortgages and non-qualified mortgages can generate better margins than agency products. Still, the loans don’t necessarily offer a guaranteed path to profits.

Layoffs can be good news for lenders looking for an employment bargain. In particular, non-agency shops are looking to hire.

Lenders are making moves in anticipation of an uptick in non-QM lending. The wildcard is interest rates.

The new standards mirror FHFA’s existing requirements in many ways, while extending the provisions to non-agency mortgages. CSBS also provided a few breaks to the industry.

A handful of commercial banks are quietly making a name for themselves in non-agency warehouse finance. Among them: Axos Bank, Silvergate and Western Alliance...