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Inside Mortgage Finance

August 13, 2015

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Private MIs Post Big Jump in New Insurance Written But Still Lose Some Market Share to FHA in 2Q15

The private mortgage insurance industry had its best quarter since the housing market crash during the second quarter of 2015, according to a new Inside Mortgage Finance ranking and analysis. Private MIs provided insurance on $60.51 billion of new single-family mortgages during the second quarter, a strong 33.7 percent increase over the first three months of the year. It was the biggest three-month output for the industry since the first quarter of 2008. The sharp increase in purchase-mortgage lending during the second quarter helped float...[Includes three data tables] Read More

IRS Cites Budget Cuts for Delays in Processing Income Tax Verification, MBA Pushes Back

Processing times for income verification provided by the Internal Revenue Service have slowed in recent months, causing problems for lenders. The IRS pinned the delays on budget cuts, prompting the Mortgage Bankers Association to call for an evaluation of the “true cause” of the delays. The IRS charges $2 per request to provide a taxpayer’s tax transcript to lenders via a third-party vendor. Stephen O’Connor, a senior vice president of public policy and industry relations at the MBA, said historically, the turn time for the Income Verification Express Service program has been around two business days or less. “In recent months, however, lenders have reported... Read More

PHH Mortgage May Renew Valuable Private-Label Contract With Merrill, But Other Hurdles Remain

Although PHH Corp. refuses to answer questions regarding a key private-label services contract to originate mortgage loans for Merrill Lynch, most analysts that follow the company believe the Wall Street giant will renew the agreement. To date, PHH will not say either way, but observers of the situation believe it’s more a technical matter than anything else. The general consensus is that Merrill has verbally agreed to renew, but hasn’t signed on the dotted line. On its recent earnings call, PHH management said... Read More

Piggyback Second Mortgages Making a Comeback with Focus on Jumbo Loans

Piggyback mortgage financing structures appear to be creeping back into the market, a trend that some observers say could destabilize the industry. Before the financial crisis, many borrowers combined a first-lien mortgage for 80 percent of home value with a second lien of 10 percent or more in order to avoid paying private mortgage insurance. While many first-lien mortgages are still originated with a simultaneous second in recent years, the combined loan-to-value ratio of the two has been capped at 80 percent or less. “From what we’ve seen from lenders who are interested in expanding their customer base, there appears... Read More

More Condo Lending is Flowing Through the Agencies, Strength in First Timers, Purchase

The volume of new mortgage originations for condominiums and co-operatives was up nicely at Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHA during the second quarter, with particular strength among first-time homebuyers and purchase mortgages, a new analysis by Inside Mortgage Finance has found. The two government-sponsored enterprises securitized $20.69 billion of condo loans during the second quarter, a 27.4 percent increase from the first three months of the year. There was a slightly bigger gain in condo purchase-money loans (up 30.9 percent) than condo refi loans (up 24.1 percent). It was...[Includes one data table] Read More

Industry Complains About Long LO Approval Times In New York; The NYDFS Says It’s Not So Bad…

Nonbank mortgage lenders are starting to complain more loudly about the length of time it takes to get their loan officers approved to do business in New York state, quoting approval times that can take anywhere from 90 to 120 days – and that’s for an application with no “red flags.” A mortgage consultant who works closely with nonbanks estimated that some of his LO clients have waited as long as six months, including both new LOs and bank loan officers who are transferring to a nondepository. Requesting anonymity, he said... Read More

M&T Bank in Talks with the DOJ to Resolve FHA-Related Charges; PHH Mortgage Gets Offer

M&T Bank is attempting to reach a settlement with the Department of Justice to resolve an investigation into the bank’s origination of FHA loans and sales of conventional-conforming mortgages to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The bank disclosed the investigation in its quarterly filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, noting similar ongoing investigations at other financial institutions. A bank spokesman declined to comment beyond what was disclosed in the SEC filing but noted that the government agencies are conducting one investigation. On the FHA side, DOJ and the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of the Inspector General are investigating... Read More

Mortgage Performance Dips in Second Quarter as Part Of Seasonal Trend, FHA Worse than Market Overall

The delinquency rate on mortgages rose in the second quarter of 2015, according to the Inside Mortgage Finance Large Servicer Delinquency Index. Overall, delinquencies remained below levels seen a year ago, though the Mortgage Bankers Association said FHA performance has declined. The delinquency rate on the IMF index was 5.85 percent at the end of the second quarter, up from 5.75 percent the previous quarter and down from 6.74 percent at the midway point in 2014. The share of mortgages severely delinquent as well as those in foreclosure declined compared with the first quarter of 2015, while the share of new delinquencies and loans 90-days past due increased. FHA mortgages accounted...[Includes one data table] Read More

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