Redwood Trust's margins on residential mortgage activity increased in the first quarter due to strong demand in the secondary market for expanded-credit mortgages. Officials are also optimistic about how the FHFA could help private capital take share from the GSEs.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is conducting targeted exams of lenders that originate non-qualified mortgages, according to a former CFPB official. 

Issuance of prime non-agency MBS has slowed significantly. A pending deal from Wells Fargo is only the second issuance of 2Q19, though industry participants suggest that demand from investors is increasing.

A new REIT managed by PIMCO initially will focus on agency loans but has designs on the non-agency market as well. A $1.0 billion IPO for the REIT could be completed next week.

Florida is enacting new standards for business-purpose mortgages due to concerns that lenders were misclassifying such originations in an attempt to avoid regulations.

Jumbo servicing portfolios increased sequentially at most prominent servicers during the first quarter of 2019, though Wells Fargo and Chase posted declines. First Republic Bank's servicing model stands out.

Ocwen took another loss in the first quarter, with the nonbank's subprime portfolio continuing to decline. Only 2 of the top 15 subprime servicers increased their portfolios on an annual basis.

Impac Mortgage and Sprout Mortgage stand out among contributors to expanded-credit MBS. They’re the only two lenders among the top five that aren’t affiliates of firms that issue deals.

Wells Fargo shot to the top of the list of originators of mortgages in prime non-agency MBS in the first quarter, demonstrating the power banks have to sway the market.