Ginnie MBS Issuance Up 50% from Last Year

Ginnie Mae MBS issuance edged down slightly in December after hitting a three-year high in November.

The Government National Mortgage Association reported Monday that lenders issued $41.2 billion in Ginnie Mae MBS in December, down $78 million from month prior.

The GNMA report shows issuers securitized $32.9 billion in forward single-family loans in Ginnie Mae II pools and $4.1 billion in Ginnie I pools in December.

Securitizations of jumbo mortgages (with balances above $417,000) totaled $880 million, up from $693 million in November.

(The Federal Housing Administration is expected to raise the downpayment requirement on jumbo loans soon.)

Reverse mortgage lenders securitized $738 million in FHA-insured home equity conversion mortgages in December, up from $645 million in the month prior.

December issuance of multifamily securities totaled $3.5 billion, up from $2 billion in November.

Overall, Ginnie Mae MBS issuance is up 50% from December 2011.