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Inside Mortgage Finance

January 14, 2016

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Fannie/Freddie Business in Private MI Mortgages Fell in 4Q15, Hinting at Shift to Government-Insured

The volume of home loans with private mortgage insurance that were securitized by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac dropped 17.1 percent from the third to the fourth quarter of last year, according to a new Inside Mortgage Finance analysis and ranking. That’s not so bad, given that total mortgage-backed securities production by the two government-sponsored enterprises was down 19.9 percent during the last three months of 2015. The GSEs securitized ... [Includes two data charts] Read More

It Was an Ugly Ride for Most Nonbank Mortgage Stocks in 2015. Have We Reached the Bottom?

Although residential production increased by roughly 30 percent in 2015 over the year prior, investors beat down nonbank mortgage stocks with a vengeance as continued low interest rates forced huge markdowns on the value of servicing rights. According to an analysis of eight publicly traded nonbank lender-servicers by Inside Mortgage Finance, the stock prices of these firms are currently trading at steep discounts to their 52-week highs, with most a dollar or two above their lows. ... Read More

Final Rule Banning Captive Insurers From FHLBank System Called ‘Disappointing’

Despite receiving hundreds of comments against the proposed rule to ban captive insurance companies from membership in the Federal Home Loan Bank system, the Federal Housing Finance Agency forged ahead this week and issued a final rule banning them from the FHLBanks, upsetting many in the mortgage industry. The decision forces FHLBank members that had used their captive insurers to join the system prior to the FHFA’s proposed rule, many of which are ... Read More

Mortgage Originations Expected to Remain Strong Heading into 2016, with a Backlog Attributed to TRID

A significant amount of mortgage originations that were set to be completed before the end of 2015 were pushed into early 2016, according to industry analysts. The closing issues could be related to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s “TRID” integrated disclosure rule, with first quarter production expected to see a boost as lenders adjust to the new requirements. Late this week, JPMorgan Chase offered the first look at origination trends for major lenders ... Read More

Nation’s Largest Subservicer Cenlar Says ‘Fad’ of Hiring Overseas Mortgage Workers Has Passed

A handful of large nonbank servicers have expanded aggressively over the past decade by hiring cheap, back-office workers overseas, but don’t tell that to the nation’s largest subservicer, Cenlar FSB. The Ewing, NJ-based firm has no plans whatsoever to outsource its workforce to foreign lands. “We’ve looked at it for a number of years,” said Cenlar Executive Vice President of Business Development Dave Miller. “But it’s not something we felt comfortable with.” Will Cenlar ever change its ... Read More

FTC Report Shows Use of Big Data Both Promising and Problematic

While mortgage lenders have been using traditional forms of data, like credit reports, to make their lending decisions, the Federal Trade Commission is concerned that “big data” will make it easier for banks to unfairly discriminate against certain segments of the population. Anytime big data is used to categorize consumers in ways that can result in certain populations being put at a disadvantage for things like a mortgage, it becomes a tool for exclusion, the FTC warned ... Read More

Three Fourths of TARP Funds Spent or Committed, Leaving $9.64 Billion Still Available, GAO Finds

There is still roughly $9.64 billion in housing-related funding available under the federal government’s Troubled Asset Relief Program, just in case mortgage lenders/servicers are interested in making more Home Affordable Modification Program loan modifications. According to a new report from the Government Accountability Office, as of Oct. 31, 2015, the Treasury Department has obligated $37.51 billion to three TARP housing programs – Making Home Affordable ... Read More

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