Originations of higher-priced non-government mortgages increased by 11% in 2018. The loans can’t receive safe harbor QM status and many higher-priced mortgages are required to include escrow accounts. (Includes two data charts.)

Issuance of non-agency MBS slowed near the end of the third quarter but presale reports for a number of deals have been published this month and more securities are on the way.

Originations of reverse mortgages are dominated by FHA loans. However, there’s a loan limit on FHA loans, allowing Reverse Mortgage Funding and other lenders to develop a market for proprietary products.

The CFPB is considering whether to provide QM status to mortgages that didn’t miss payments in the early years after origination. The proposal has support from some lenders.

There’s no consensus among industry participants on how the CFPB should address the “patch” for qualified mortgages. However, lenders generally agree that Appendix Q of the ATR rule needs a major overhaul.

The debate around the qualified mortgage “patch” has shifted to whether the non-agency market can handle the volume that currently is delivered to the GSEs.

Denial rates on jumbo mortgages varied in 2018. Denials of applications for purchase mortgages declined while those for refis increased. Denial rates also differed widely among banks and nonbanks. (Includes one data chart.)

Non-QM MBS from affiliates of Angelo Gordon and Caliber Home Loans are in the works along with a deal backed by investment-property mortgages from JPMorgan Chase.