MFA Financial took a large loss in the first quarter as rising interest rates reduced the value of non-QMs on the REIT’s balance sheet. Lima One, a business-purpose lender now owned by MFA, was a bright spot.

While non-agency MBS issuance was essentially level in the first quarter of 2022, there was some movement among servicers in the sector. Servicing activity at Cenlar and UWM dropped, while Shellpoint and smaller servicers increased their market share. (Includes data chart.)

Banks and thrifts held $2.23 trillion of first liens at the end of the year, up 1.7% from the end of September. Trends varied considerably among the megabanks. (Includes data chart.)

Firms active in nonprime servicing increased their portfolios by 7.5% on an annual basis in 2021. Servicers also are turning to loan modifications as forbearance plans end. (Includes data chart.)

While delinquencies on non-QMs spiked in the early days of the pandemic, many of those borrowers returned to making payments or cured their debt without the loan holders suffering large losses.

Western Asset Mortgage Capital took a third consecutive loss during the October-December period as it works to shift its investment focus to non-QMs and other non-agency products.

Nearly every company in a group of 30 prominent servicers of jumbo mortgages increased their respective portfolios during the fourth quarter. Jumbo servicing also increased on an annual basis. (Includes data chart.)

Annaly Capital Management is increasing the amount of capital it dedicates to aggregating non-agency mortgages and issuing MBS.

Select Portfolio Servicing added nearly twice as much servicing from just-issued non-agency MBS in the fourth quarter as it did in the third. Shellpoint remains the largest servicer of recently issued non-agency MBS. (Includes data chart.)

Mortgages in the transaction were acquired by Western Alliance Bank on a correspondent basis and will remain on its balance sheet. Risk-sharing deals in the non-agency market are rare and largely involve megabanks.