The firms acquire non-agency mortgages and own stakes in non-agency lenders.

“We do believe that tariffs overall will be finalized... and I actually think interest rates will go down because of it,” said Mat Ishbia, chairman and CEO of United Wholesale Mortgage.

Another contributor: Issuers were slightly faster at packaging new non-agency production.

The volume of rate/term refis in prime non-agency MBS more than doubled compared with the fourth quarter of 2024. Still, purchase mortgages dominate issuance.

Annaly started marketing an expanded-credit MBS last month just as President Trump announced new tariffs. The deal went through at a spread that likely wouldn’t have been achievable as recently as three years ago.

Rithm is both a buyer and seller of non-agency mortgages. Wider spreads in recent months have helped generate strong returns from loan acquisitions. Meanwhile, RTL production through its Genesis unit slowed during the first quarter.

Impairment rate on non-QMs declines; new issuers of home equity loan securitizations; bank offers new jumbo ARMs via wholesale channel; proprietary reverse-mortgage product from Liberty Reverse Mortgage.

Mr. Cooper's owned servicing portfolio declined in the first quarter of 2025, the first decline posted by the nonbank since the second quarter of 2022.

“There are a lot of tailwinds still in MSR values,” said David Sheeler, a senior executive vice president and president of residential servicing at Freedom Mortgage.

Ginnie Mae is instituting a temporary 10% cap on the share of mortgages with buydowns delivered into multiple issuer pools of Ginnie MBS.