Data from agency MBS issued in the second quarter suggest that first-time buyers accounted for just over half of the purchase loans sold to Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae during that period.
Purchase-mortgage lending soared to a record $515 billion during the second quarter of 2021, buoyed by first-time buyers. Refi lending was down but still accounted for 58% of the market. (Includes five data charts.)
And while repurchase activity still represents a small portion of Fannie and Freddie business, 2021 is shaping up as the biggest year for seller buybacks since 2014.
Lenders reported measurable declines in income from originations and secondary market as production volume fell and per-loan costs rose. MSR valuations hit servicing hard. (Includes data chart.)
Bank call-report data show a huge drop in mortgage banking income from the first to the second quarter, but several top banks reported big gains. (Includes data chart.)
The landslide of new single-family MBS issuance since the pandemic started is yielding a predictable side effect: rising buyback demands from the GSEs. (Includes two data charts.)
The FHA received some help from reperforming loans that had COVID payment forbearance, but the VA has also seen a sharp decline in refinance business. (Includes two data charts.)