Thrift originations of single-family loans increased by 1% in the third quarter from those of the previous quarter, but loan production was down 8% from that of a year earlier.Thrifts originated $149.9 billion in one- to four-family loans in the third quarter, down from $181.3 billion in the third quarter of last year, according to the Office of Thrift Supervision. Despite the slight increase, the percentage of adjustable-rate mortgages and refinancing activity fell noticeably. An estimated 26% of thrift originations were adjustable-rate mortgages, compared with 37% in the previous quarter, the OTS reported. Refinancings accounted for 27% of originations, down from 33% in the second quarter. The 853 OTS-supervised thrifts posted $4.29 billion in earnings, despite a $195.6 million hit due to a decline in the value of servicing fees. Nevertheless, it was the seventh consecutive quarter in which thrift earnings topped $4 billion.
