Secondary markets

Non-depositories historically haven't been big originators of home equity lines of credit, but fintechs that offer the easily automated countercyclical products are reporting growth.

The acting head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency will become the first African American woman to lead the agency as a result of the vote Wednesday.

The Treasuries market is girding for potential disruptions from the next and trickiest stage of policymakers’ tightening campaign: the shrinking of an $8.5 trillion bond portfolio.

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.

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

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.

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.

While the company improved on the prior quarter’s results, efficiency measures including layoffs failed to make up for less favorable secondary market conditions.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency is shoring up the government-sponsored enterprises’ finances as it returns to considering a mission-centric conservatorship exit, and its related policies have implications for lenders.

The government-sponsored enterprise on Tuesday priced its fifth Connecticut Avenue Securities transaction this year, making further progress in supporting the market it left during the Trump era.

However, originators selling loans to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will have almost 10 months before the Supplemental Consumer Information is required.

Fair value increases on existing business and an accounting change made for troubled debt restructurings likely explain why its results contrasted those of competitor Freddie Mac.

While the government-sponsored enterprise’s single-family mortgages are still not performing as well as they did before the pandemic, the most recent vintages are getting there.

Improved loan performance, a credit reserve release, higher g-fees and reduced portfolio runoff helped to offset declining single-family loan purchases.