Secondary

Rather than working with large-scale investors, Freddie Mac said it will focus on assisting community organizations and local institutions to fund single-family properties for renters with special needs.

Unlike the $15 billion-asset bank’s legacy mortgage bonds, the new offering is backed by loans to borrowers with strong credit and significant equity in their homes.

Double-digit growth in loan volume offset a decline in fee income at the Honolulu company.

Ocwen Financial finalized the deal to sell its interests in $110 billion of nonagency mortgage servicing rights to New Residential Investment Corp. for total consideration of $400 million.

It’s a very large number for any bank, but Bank of America executives said the move makes good economic sense and promotes relationship-building with customers.

Auto risks mounting. Mortgage market tightening. Are there any good risks these days in consumer lending? Regional bank executives insist partnerships with online lenders, unsecured personal loans and other niche efforts can work if done properly.

From the small lender’s perspective, most of the various GSE reform proposals that have been offered are designed to advance the interests of the big banks.

Increased dealings in direct consumer lending and guaranteed student loans offset a decline in mortgage-related income. A lower loan-loss provision also helped the bottom line.

The California lender, which specializes in trade finance, reported strong growth in commercial and other lending categories last quarter, and it urged the Trump administration to seek fair trade deals with China.

The discounts that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac used to offer large originators for selling them bulk bundles of mortgages continue to haunt small lenders, who worry a new housing finance system could revive the practice.