Finance

Revenue was also slashed by lower per-employee productivity and slipping application pull-through.

Investors could gravitate to a company willing to invest in itself in a challenging market , but share repurchases have downsides.

First quarter gain-on-sale at nine originators tracked by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods averaged 149 basis points, much higher than the 5 bps recorded for independent mortgage bankers tracked by the MBA.

At the Mortgage Bankers Association Secondary Conference this week, issuers noted their concern about rising delinquency levels, accusations of racial bias in lending, and whether regulators in Albany and Washington are preparing a new campaign against “abuses” in mortgage servicing, the chairman of Whalen Global Advisors writes.

Purchasing mortgage-backed securities—and that strategy is not out of the question as the central bank works to promote equilibrium in the housing markets over time.

The ability to produce a cohesive, visible audit trail is “like nirvana” for lenders, ICE Mortgage Technology Vice President Christopher McEntee said.

Home price values of the underlying pool are more than 10% above a long-term sustainable level. The sustainable level from a national point of view is 9.2%.

Lending that can fulfill Biden administration aims around equity and supply, like an FHA premium cut or financing for accessory dwelling units, remain possible, but late-cycle housing risk is a concern.

The White House outlined a specific role for the agency in its housing supply agenda, which has not happened before, Ginnie President Alanna McCargo said at the MBA Secondary Conference. Meanwhile, the acting head of the FHFA said preferred stock talks haven’t happened — yet.

Preliminary data from the trade group indicates that mortgage lenders an average of 5 basis points earned per loan as costs reached an all-time high.

Mid America will retain its focus on technology, third-party originations and secondary market executions for specialty products while helping the acquirer expand the scope of its operations.

But the REIT, which invests in mortgages that have to be verified through nontraditional means like bank statements, has seen an improvement in its outlook since the first quarter.

Higher rates and tight margins are affecting its non-QM and conforming businesses.

Only Stewart reported a quarter-to-quarter increase in net income, while upstart Doma is reducing headcount by 15%.

Real-estate owned assets sold in 2021 achieved 109% of the most recent appraised value, on average, compared with the 97% that the sales achieved, in 2020.

The sale of its correspondent business to Planet Home Lending, divestment in a reverse mortgage lender, Longbridge Financial, and the outsourcing of mortgage servicing rights all reinforce its focus on wholesale, company management said.

Its outlook is about $20 billion less than what the analyst consensus forecast had called for.

Forecasting that it will not turn a profit in the 2022 fiscal year, the company plans to make job cuts, suspend dividends and introduce new products.

The portfolio of cash-flows from monthly mortgage payments is on the higher end of a wide range of deals seen in the market this year.