Originations

Increasing COVID-19 numbers offset promising economic figures, resulting in minimal changes.

Refinancing, high home prices, the concentration of pandemic-related hardships in the FHA market, and the lingering impact of last year’s market disruption all likely played a role in the intensified discrepancy.

Meanwhile, investors await word from the central bank regarding monetary policy, as limited housing supply continues to drive prices upward.

But average loan sizes remain near record highs, with summer purchases of new constructions continuing to drive up prices.

The wholesale lender has a cost structure aimed at beating the competition in a rising rate environment, Chairman and CEO Mat Ishbia said on the second quarter earnings call.

While the company's mortgage originations saw a 46% annual drop in gain on sale margin, it anticipates that annual volumes will exceed 2020 levels.

The company attributed its second quarter loss to competitive pricing pressures and GSE-imposed charges.

An equal split of refinance and purchase rate locks occurred during July, helped by elimination of the adverse market fee, Black Knight said.

While the hot market’s actual and forecast home price gains were key drivers of Fannie’s results, they also present a challenge to the affordable housing mission that it’s working to address.

Such applications have declined on an annual basis for the past three months, but overall weekly numbers increased due to a jump in refinances amid plummeting rates.

Despite lower numbers, refi applications continued trending strongly, while purchases fell close to lows from more than a year ago.

Meanwhile, the average new-home mortgage price climbed to a new all-time high, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

As rising home valuations force first-time home buyers out of the market, expect to see non-owner-occupied loans to increase.

“One” is the first in a series of non-agency mortgages the wholesaler plans to introduce this year.

Boosts in purchases and cash-out refinances drove the summer turnaround, according to Black Knight.

Even though the channel helped the bank do over $2 billion in business last year, going forward it will produce loans through the traditional retail business.

Increases in refinances, both in applications and average size, help lead overall numbers higher

The data also showed that more purchase loans were made to low- and moderate-income borrowers last year, but fewer refinances.

Demand was strongest at the high end of the market, which pushed loan amounts up for the fourth straight month.

A spike in government-sponsored applications helped lead indexes to their largest gains in several weeks.