The rapid rise in refinance lending in the second half of 2019 boosted consumer-direct activity for FHA/VA lenders, though the correspondent channel remained the largest source of new business. (Includes data chart.)

At yearend, commercial banks owned more MBS than any other investor cohort at $1.793 trillion. The Fed was second, but that's going to change...

The Federal Reserve's revived MBS purchase program will likely absorb half of new monthly issuance, crowding out other investors that have carried the market for the past two years. (Includes two data charts.)

Single-family mortgage servicing was a healthy, growing market with a variety of business strategies in 4Q19. It may be morphing into something much different during the coronavirus crisis.(Includes two data charts.)

While both GSEs saw declining business in February, Freddie took the brunt of the downturn.

Deliveries of refinance loans into Fannie and Freddie MBS pools fell sharply in February. But record lows in interest rates promise a huge influx of business in coming months. (Includes two data charts.)

In terms of new HELOC commitments, Bank of America, Wells Fargo and Citizens Bank ranked first, second and third, respectively in 2019...

Correspondent production across all three major mortgage food groups was up 12.6% from the third to the fourth quarter, while retail rose 5.8% and wholesale-broker managed just a 2.5% gain. (Includes two data charts.)

Although secondary market sales by bank mortgage banking platforms were down 8% in the fourth quarter, it still ranked as one of the busiest periods since early 2013. (Includes two data charts.)

Industry-wide holdings of residential MBS were steady in the fourth quarter, but several REITs shifted their focus to non-agency MBS and other investments. (Includes data chart.)