Secondary markets

By some current measures, nonbank capitalization looks strong compared to banks, but the way a Ginnie Mae proposal aims to assess the value of mortgage servicing rights would change that, Moody’s Investors Service reported Tuesday.

Refinancing, high home prices, the concentration of pandemic-related hardships in the FHA market, and the lingering impact of last year’s market disruption all likely played a role in the intensified discrepancy.

The home purchase target for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would set a new 10% benchmark for qualified single-family lending in census tracts that meet certain demographic and income targets.

Originations of loans to the self-employed and other outside-the-box borrowers had better margins than mainstream mortgages in the second quarter, but rebuilding after the niche market’s temporary disruption last year generated significant expenses.

A jump in jumbo loan programs was countered by lenders dropping high loan-to-value conforming products.

Total investment property lending this year should be 31% above 2020's pandemic-affected activity.

The company has been making investments in correspondent originations and servicing and “reverse” loans used by borrowers age 62 and up to withdraw home equity.

While the hot market’s actual and forecast home price gains were key drivers of Fannie’s results, they also present a challenge to the affordable housing mission that it’s working to address.

The bank saw a modest increase in net income from the first quarter, as lawsuit settlements tied to the company’s discontinued home lending business and fees regarding an anti-money laundering and securities class action suit continue to limit growth.

The company’s results included some transitory revenue sources, including early buyouts of loans in forbearance from securitized pools, but executives plan to maintain growth over time through economies of scale.