With traditional refi business slowing, New Residential plans to increase originations of various non-agency products.

Fitch’s review of 225 non-agency MBS prompts downgrade of a single tranche; Unison issues securitization with residential equity agreements; Carrington offers to complete certain non-QM origination tasks for brokers.

Loan-level details from CoreLogic provide a comparison of interest rates charged on jumbos and conventional mortgages. One finding: Spreads returned to pre-pandemic levels in the second half of 2021.

FHFA’s increase of fees on GSE mortgages for second homes could shift some volume into the non-agency market. Demand for second homes is also increasing.

Non-agency mortgages, both jumbos and non-qualified mortgages, look promising to Western Alliance Bank as margins on conventional-conforming loans compress and production falls.

Milo Credit is offering a mortgage that allows borrowers to qualify solely by pledging Bitcoin. The lender’s asset treatment of Bitcoin varies significantly from how the GSEs view borrowers with cryptocurrencies.

Chase issuing large jumbo MBS; more prime non-agency MBS; Velocity Financial originations hit a record in the fourth quarter; Boston Lending issues non-agency MBS with proprietary reverse mortgages; few FHA/VA mortgages make it into the non-agency market.

The first non-agency MBS issued by a Community Development Financial Institution includes loans that didn’t require verification of borrower income or employment.

The bank’s fourth-quarter lending was flat, but it had record level originations for the year and expects volume to increase in 2022.

Strong home price appreciation helped push some GSE conforming jumbos into the non-agency market. Are loans for second homes next? (Includes data chart.)