Conventional conforming mortgage originations mostly financed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac accounted for a record 66.8 percent of total single-family lending last year, according to a new market analysis and ranking by Inside Mortgage Finance. Mortgage lenders originated a whopping $1.273 trillion in conventional conforming mortgages in 2012, the highest level since the all-time record of $2.460 trillion was set back in 2003. Volume in the sector started strong and kept building throughout the year, including a 19.1 percent jump from the third to the fourth quarter. For the year, conventional conforming originations were...[Includes two data charts]
A year ago, Wells Fargo had a stake in roughly 100 joint venture mortgage banking companies, mostly with real estate brokers. Today that number stands at 10 or so with some of the remaining JVs voicing concerns that the nations largest lender might pull the plug by the time 2013 ends. However, at least two Wells JVs HomeServices Lending and Prosperity Mortgage have been reassured by the bank that their relationships are on firm footing and they have nothing to worry about. Still, there is a growing concern among some JV partners that, in the words of one executive: Wells is allocating resources away from JVs. This source, who spoke under the condition his name and company not be published, said...
With upwards of $15 billion in nonperforming mortgages expected to be sold at auction this year and with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac entering the market securitizations of these problem loans could take off during the next few quarters. To date, there has been little information about nonperforming securitizations, though a handful of private deals have been issued over the past 18 months, market sources told Inside MBS & ABS. Deals are getting done...
The Federal Reserve is open to the idea of making the "qualified residential mortgage" definition in the pending risk-retention rule the same as that of the "qualified mortgage" standard.