Will prepayment speeds on agency product continue to decline? No one knows for certain, but the UMBS 2.5 is waiting in the wings to be the new kid in town.
It’s easier for banks to complete buyouts of mortgages from Ginnie MBS than nonbanks due to banks’ funding advantages. Nonbanks are also increasingly modifying mortgages rather than offering partial claims.
Despite various penalties for early prepayments, FHFA believes multifamily MBS issued by Fannie and Freddie present risk for the FHLBanks. Fannie thinks otherwise.
MBS trading is drifting lower in a rising rate environment, but the outlook remains cloudy as mortgage bankers wonder how many more months they have left before refis drain for good. Or will they?