Cart

Inside Mortgage Trends

November 11, 2016

View Archived Issues

Public Nonbanks See Improvement in Mortgage Banking, But Some Struggle

The nine major publicly traded nonbanks active in mortgage banking saw a significant improvement in earnings during the third quarter, but two firms continued to book losses, according to a new Inside Mortgage Trends analysis of quarterly earnings reports. As a group, the nine nonbanks generated $129.7 billion in mortgage-banking income during the third quarter, a major improvement from their combined $339.5 million loss in the previous period ... [Includes one data chart] Read More

PennyMac Pins Higher Profits on Hedging Strategy

PennyMac Financial Services continued to excel in terms of profitability in the third quarter, as officials cited a “distinctive” hedging strategy, among other efforts. PennyMac had $122.3 million in net income in the third quarter of 2016, up 64.6 percent from the previous period and nearly double the net income it reported a year ago. While interest-rate volatility tends to wreak havoc on earnings, Stanford Kurland, PennyMac’s chairman and CEO, said better-than-expected hedging ... Read More

Slight Shift to Less Risky GSE Loans in 3Q16

Mortgage lenders delivered a slightly less risky assortment of single-family loans into Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac mortgage-backed securities during the third quarter of 2016, according to a new Inside Mortgage Trends analysis. Some 11.62 percent of purchase mortgages securitized by the two government-sponsored enterprises had low credit scores and high loan-to-value ratios during the third quarter, down from 11.79 percent in the previous ... [Includes two data charts] Read More

Some Mortgage Firms Continue to Hire

As yearend approaches, growth-minded nonbank mortgage firms continue to hire new workers while commercial banks are taking a cautious “wait-and-see” approach, according to interviews conducted by Inside Mortgage Trends over the past two weeks. “We continue to grow and are currently hiring across the board – technology, mortgage banking, underwriting, marketing and more,” said Jordan Fylonenko, a spokesman for nonbank Quicken Loans, the nation’s second ... Read More

Loan Officers Need to Adopt Social Media

Social media and mobile-digital communications have already reshaped a number of industries, and mortgage banking isn’t going to be any different, according to a leading guru in the field. Many of today’s loan officers are going to become obsolete unless they adapt to rapidly shifting consumer expectations, said Clara Shih, CEO and founder of Hearsay Social, during a session at the recent annual convention of the Mortgage Bankers Association. Although there are some ... Read More

Growth Market Seen in Borrowers 55 and Older

Homebuilders are optimistic about the rising trend in the housing market for persons 55 years of age and over. The National Association of Home Builders’ 55+ Housing Market Index showed an increase of two points to 59 in the third quarter from the previous quarter. That marks the 10th consecutive quarter in which the index has risen above the break-even point of 50, according to the trade group. The two-point increase suggests that more builders view housing-market conditions ... Read More

Tough Market for Younger First-Time Homebuyers

The average age of first-time homebuyers tied a record high this year, and many potential first-time homebuyers are having difficulties finding affordable properties and saving for a downpayment, according to the National Association of Realtors. NAR’s annual profile of homebuyers and sellers found that the median age of first-timers was 32, up from 31 over the past five years. First-time homebuyers accounted for 35.0 percent of home purchases in 2016, up from a ... Read More

Tech Opportunities and Regulatory Challenges

Balancing technological advances in the mortgage space with safety and soundness can be challenging, but it should be considered a priority, according to industry experts on a recent panel in Washington, DC, sponsored by the Urban Institute and CoreLogic. Quicken Loans launched its Rocket Mortgage early this year at a time when an avalanche of new regulations had the industry back on its heels. “While many in the industry were playing a lot of defense, and rightfully so ... Read More

Latest Imf News

More Imf News

Featured Data

More Featured Data

Featured Reports

More Latest Reports

Featured Poll

As homeowner equity continues to build, more and more lenders are launching home equity lending products. Are you thinking of joining this market?

View Results