A handful of real estate investment trusts acquired non-QMs at a discount as interest rates increased during the first quarter. Lenders selling the loans took some losses but appear to have weathered the storm.

MFA Financial took a large loss in the first quarter as rising interest rates reduced the value of non-QMs on the REIT’s balance sheet. Lima One, a business-purpose lender now owned by MFA, was a bright spot.

Barclays sourced many of the mortgages in the MBS from Invigorate Finance, an aggregator founded in March 2021.

Originations at Velocity Financial increased in the first quarter despite an increase in interest rates. The lender’s income declined, though much of the drift was tied to a refi of corporate debt that could be beneficial in the long term.

Issuers of expanded-credit MBS stocked deals with $14.10 billion of volume in the first quarter of 2022, a record for the sector. A rise in interest rates helped to increase securitization activity. (Includes three data charts.)

Redwood’s profit took a hit in the first quarter, with non-agency mortgage aggregation and loan sales slowing amid a rise in interest rates. Still, officials at Redwood were happy with the REIT’s performance.

Annaly Capital Management is working to increase its aggregation of non-agency mortgages. The company generated returns in the mid-teens from the activity in the first quarter.

Some issuers of non-agency MBS are stocking deals with mortgages that have seasoned for an average of about one month while others are still offloading mortgages that were originated prior to the runup in interest rates.

Issuance of non-agency MBS ground to a halt near the end of March but gained some momentum this week, led by prime deals.

The conduit started acquiring mortgages in mid-2021, with a focus on a limited number of lenders and relatively conservative credit standards.