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Category Archives: HECM Lenders

One Up Year – HECM Lenders November 2013

HECM endorsements for November rose 12% to 4,690 loans, marking the impact of standard ARM applications taken before the Sep 30th program changes. We expect to see endorsements continue to be relatively strong for the next few months, but turn significantly lower toward the end of Q1 next year. New applications are falling well short […]

HECM Lenders October 2013

NRMLA’s annual convention is just around the corner. Since we want everyone feeling good and happy next week at the conference, lets look at the numbers on an annual basis, and see what kind of positive things we can find.

  • Despite all of the pessimism and uncertainty and changes and all of the other headwinds the […]

Downside Risks – HECM Lenders September 2013

HECM endorsements dropped -15.9% in September to 4,527 loans in the beginning of what we expect to be a trend of falling volumes related to the FHA HECM program changes enacted earlier this year.

Based on case numbers issued trends (a proxy for applications) in the chart below, it’s pretty easy to see that the decline […]

Fixed Effects – HECM Lenders August 2013

HECM endorsements for August declined -6.5% to 5,382 loans. July’s total was increased by HECM Standard fixed rate volumes working through the pipeline, so we’re likely seeing a reset to a lower level given weakness in funding volumes starting in July. There is a 2 month lag time from funding to endorsement for most loans, […]

Hunting High And Low – HECM Lenders July 2013

HECM endorsements for July 2013 totaled 5,756 loans, up 7.1% from June and 15.2% year to date. The increase of 48.8% from last July’s dismal level of 3,868 was even more dramatic, but that was also the start of a 6 month period with 4 of the lowest volume totals in recent memory (under 4,000 per […]

Inched Up – HECM Lenders June 2013

HECM endorsements rose 0.4% to 5,372 loans in June, finishing 3.6% above June 2012 level. Despite the very small increase in June, 7 of the 10 regions tracked were up, although notable exceptions were the top 2 regions (Southeast/Caribbean and Pacific/Hawaii).

Among lenders, consolidating volume for the merger of Security One Lending with RMS results in […]

ARMs Race – HECM Lenders May 2013

HECM endorsements were down 7.2% in May to 5,352 loans and continuing a modest trend of weakness since the recent peak in March. Year to date volume is up 12.4%, while competition as measured by active lenders is up 3.0%

With the 4/1 moratorium on new applications for HECM standard fixed rate products, one of the […]

Keep It Up – HECM Lenders April 2013

After a big improvement last month, HECM endorsements declined slightly in April to finish at 5,770 loans, down -1.2% from March. That figure was still good enough for 2nd highest in the past 12 months, behind only last month.

Regional volumes were mostly down, with 6 of the 10 regions declining.

  • The top 2 regions, Southeast/Caribbean and […]

Rising Tides – HECM Lenders March 2013

HECM endorsements climbed 20.8% in March to their highest level since June 2011. That date is significant, in that it was the last month Wells Fargo was fully active in the industry, although their endorsements were reflected for a few more months after their exit announcement. Either way, it’s a significant hurdle for the industry […]

Bouncing Around – HECM Lenders February 2013

HECM endorsements declined -6.9% in February after a surge in January, but stayed well above the average for the prior 11 months at 4,833 loans.

Some regions of the country were more affected than others by the small decline, while others broke the trend to increase from January:

  • Midwest, Pacific/Hawaii and Great Plains all saw new 12 […]