Freddie Mac purchased $49.7 billion of mortgages from its seller/servicers in December, its best purchase month of the year and a sign that loan production remained strong in the fourth quarter.
For the full year, the government controlled secondary market giant acquired $411.8 billion of residential loans, a 25% decline from 2009. (Dollar-wise, mortgage bankers funded 18% fewer loans in 2010 than the year before, according to preliminary figures compiled by National Mortgage News (NMN).)
NMN also found that Freddie had a purchase market share of 26% in 2010. In 2009 its market share was a few points higher at 29%.
Market share is calculated by taking a GSE's loan purchases from seller/servicers and dividing it by industry-wide originations.
At yearend Freddie held $696.8 billion of mortgage-related assets on its books, an 8% drop from December 31, 2009.
Fannie Mae is expected to release its December purchase figures in the next few days.
