Wells Fargo, the nation’s largest home lender and servicer, saw its MSR portfolio shrink by 1.6 percent on a sequential basis…

And although trendlines varied significantly among the top-ranked processors, the overall migration of GSE servicing to nonbanks continued last year.

The three most active sellers of bulk MSRs: Stearns Lending, United Wholesale Mortgage and loanDepot, according to exclusive figures from Inside Mortgage Trends…

The flow of multifamily mortgages into non-agency CMBS actually rose slightly in 2018, including a burst of activity in the fourth quarter.

Loans originated on retail production platforms and sold to Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae during the fourth quarter tended to have stronger credit characteristics than those generated by third-party originators. [Includes two data charts]

Transfers of agency mortgage servicing rights rose to their highest level in at least four years during 2018, although activity cooled in the fourth quarter. [Includes three data charts]

A price war? Ginnie woes? More…

Despite a sharp rise in the fourth quarter, issuance of commercial MBS for the whole of 2018 declined 6 percent. Agency multifamily MBS continued to dominate the overall CMBS market. [Includes one data chart.]

Originations of first-lien home mortgages dropped 14.9 percent from the third to the fourth quarter of 2018, according to an exclusive new analysis and ranking by Inside Mortgage Finance. [Includes two data charts.]

Among the nation’s top 10 originators, United Wholesale Mortgage was a standout, growing production by 40.8 percent in 2018…