Redwood’s mortgage banking income decreased in the third quarter as falling interest rates lessened demand for MBS. Execution rebounded in October after interest rates increased.
Moody’s assesses Quicken as an “average” originator of prime jumbos; Prosper ties up with BBVA USA to launch a HELOC product; Deephaven hires Kris-Ann Carduff as a vice president.
Production of jumbo mortgages at First Republic Bank and Flagstar Bank increased on a sequential basis in the third quarter. Volume was driven by refinances as interest rates fell during the quarter.
Several borrowers are opting for mortgages with balances right at the conforming loan limit even though interest rates on jumbos are often lower. Relatively tight underwriting standards for jumbos look to be the cause.
JPMorgan Chase Bank has created a synthetic credit-linked note to transfer credit risk on a pool of jumbo mortgages. Unlike traditional MBS, loans in the transaction will remain on the bank’s balance sheet.
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.)
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.