Ginnie Mae guaranteed more than $216.9 billion in mortgage-backed securities during the first half of 2013, up 18.8 percent from the same period last year. Issuance was also up 8.0 percent in the second quarter from the first quarter, according to an Inside FHA Lending analysis of Ginnie Mae data. Not surprisingly, a significant share – $132.8 billion – of Ginnie Mae MBS issuances over the six-month period were backed by FHA loans. VA accounted for $72.1 billion while Rural Housing Service loans totaled $10.5 billion. Ginnie Mae issuances dropped during the first quarter but surged in the second quarter as ... [1 chart]