Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-MA, introduced legislation last week to make significant changes to the housing-finance market. The bill is essentially dead on arrival given the current makeup of Congress, but it signals some priorities for Democrats as they look to win elections in 2020.
Impac Mortgage Holdings is putting a strong emphasis on originating non-qualified mortgages as the product offers attractive margins. But the shift also has prompted large layoffs and employee turnover as non-QM volume hasn’t completely replaced production of conforming mortgages.
Any administrative overhaul of the government-sponsored enterprises could provide enough incentive for Congress to pass housing-finance reform legislation, according to industry participants.