As a group, commercial banks reported a small increase in the volume of loan repurchases and indemnifications made during the third quarter, but some institutions posted much bigger increases than the overall industry trend. At the same time, a number of banks – including two of the top five – reported declines in the volume of buybacks and indemnifications compared to the second quarter of 2011, according to a new analysis of bank call report data by Inside Mortgage Trends. Bank mortgage repurchases and indemnifications totaled $5.94 billion during the third quarter, up...(Includes one data chart)

Mortgage bankers reported significant gains in profitability during the third quarter of 2011 as strong secondary market margins more than offset losses on the servicing side. The average mortgage banker earned $7.33 billion in gross income during the third quarter, up 24.3 percent from the previous period, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s latest quarterly performance report. Average pre-tax income was up a more robust 147.9 percent from the second quarter to $1.12 million, while average net income after adjustments surged 122.2 percent, the MBA data show. Through the first nine...

Industry trade groups, as well as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s regulator, are questioning the wisdom of Congress as lawmakers in both chambers have bills pending to hike the fees charged to guarantee GSE mortgages as a way to help offset the cost of extending the payroll tax cut through 2012.Both House and Senate versions of tax cut extension bills would add an additional 10 basis points to the guarantee fees charged by Fannie and Freddie through 2021. The increase would offset about $35.7 billion in costs, including $1.3 billion in the first year, according to the Congressional Budget Office.As Inside the GSEs went to press, the prospect of any tax cut extension was in doubt after the House rejected the bill calling for a two-month extension. Instead, House Republicans demanded immediate talks with the Senate on a year-long plan but the Senate ruled out further negotiations until the House passes the stop-gap measure.

Servicing and delinquency issues in recent years have prompted three of the four major bank portfolio lenders to decrease their focus on portfolio originations. Meanwhile, Wells Fargo has indicated that it is willing to continue to increase its first-lien portfolio holdings, seeing attractive returns relative to other investing options. Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase decreased their first-lien mortgage portfolio holdings in the third quarter of 2011 compared with the previous quarter, according to the Inside Mortgage Finance Bank Mortgage Database. The banks ranked first and third, respectively ... [Includes one data chart]

Commercial banks reported a robust $4.91 billion in mortgage banking earnings during the third quarter of 2011, according to a new analysis of bank call report data by Inside Mortgage Trends. Mortgage banking income was up 52.8 percent from the three months ending in June, reaching the industry’s highest level since the end of 2009. Despite the improvement, year-to-date mortgage banking earnings were still down 4.8 percent from the first nine months of 2010. The surge in mortgage banking earnings resulted from increased loan origination and secondary market activity. Banks reported...(Includes one data chart)

Some large banks may be re-thinking their commitment to the mortgage business and creating opportunities for a number of mid-sized firms, according to analysts at FBR Capital Markets. Servicing problems and mounting repurchase demands have pushed some large banks to allocate less capital to mortgage banking and slowed their originations, FBR analysts said. “This has created an opportunity for smaller players to step up and fill the void while still attaining healthy margins,” the company added. FBR specifically pointed to PHH Mortgage, U.S. Bank, Quicken Home Loans, Provident Funding, BB&T and...

Home prices remain under stress. The CoreLogic Home Price Index shows that home prices have decreased 1.3 percent from September to October, making it the third consecutive month in which home prices have been on a downward slide. Looking at it from a wider scope, national home prices (including distressed sales) have decreased 3.9 percent from Oct. 2010 to Oct. 2011. Excluding distressed sales, Oct. 2011 posted a 0.5 percent yearly decline. States in the best shape, when including distressed sales, are West Virginia, with 4.8 percent price appreciation; South Dakota, with 3.1 percent...

The combined holdings of residential MBS by banks and thrifts topped the $1.5 trillion mark for the first time ever during the third quarter, as depository institutions without a lot of great alternative investment options continued to plow money into the market. Banks and thrifts held a record $1.533 trillion in residential MBS at the end of September, up 2.8 percent from the previous quarter and 10.4 percent ahead of the same period in 2010. Banks and thrifts held a combined 23.2 percent share of the outstanding residential MBS in the market. The biggest...(Includes two data charts)

The chief of enforcement at the Securities and Exchange Commission took issue with a U.S. District Court judge’s rejection this week of the agency’s proposed $285 million settlement with Citigroup over a collateralized debt obligation backed by MBS that went sour, and defended the deal as the best available course of action, given the restrictions under current law. Robert Khuzami, director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement, responded to a ruling announced early this week by U.S. District Court Judge Jed Rakoff in Manhattan in which the judge rejected the multi-million-dollar...

The Department of Housing and Urban Development has reportedly offered to release major servicers from some liability related to FHA mortgages as part of a pending settlement related to foreclosure problems. While the offer may sweeten the deal for banks to settle with state attorneys general and federal regulators, observers say it’s not a total game changer. The complex negotiations have lasted more than a year, stemming from servicing practices that include robo-signing of foreclosure documents and poor communication with borrowers. A key sticking point has been...