With interest rates declining and the demographics among home investors shifting, mortgage financing is regaining popularity.

“Buyers had more options in May than at any time since July 2020,” Zillow said.

Banks and thrifts have largely added to their overall holdings of residential first liens each quarter dating back to 2021. The decline seen in the first quarter of 2025 included a sharp drop in ARMs. (Includes data table.)

Short-term mortgages track residential transition loans and fix-and-flip loans. Last year, originations were up 34.6% compared with 2023. (Includes data table.)

Agency securitization of high-balance loans declined by 46.0% on a quarterly basis to $8.70 billion in the first quarter of 2025.

It’s the first jumbo MBS from a PennyMac unit since a one-off issuance in 2013.

The Senate joined the House in passing legislation to restrict trigger leads tied to mortgage applications.

Due diligence firms can use the review scope to assess seasoned residential mortgages, assigning positive grades for loans with 36 months of strong performance.

PennyMac Mortgage Investment Trust has been issuing about one prime non-agency MBS per month, stocking the deals with GSE-eligible mortgages for investment properties and second homes. Now the REIT is set to issue jumbo MBS.

Agency securitization of high-balance loans declined by 46.0% in the first quarter. The non-agency jumbo share of first liens was flat compared with the fourth quarter while the agency high-balance share dwindled. (Includes three data tables.)