Skip to main content

Non-QM Performance Exceeds Expectations in 2018

Feb 23, 2019
ACES Risk Management (ARMCO) has announced the release of the quarterly ARMCO Mortgage QC Trends Report, providing loan quality findings for mortgages reviewed by ACES Audit Technology during the first quarter (Q1) of 2018
EVP, Production

For more than two years, I have been writing this column to help Mortgage Loan Officers understand how non-QM lending can benefit you, your customers and the marketplace. Over that time, we have predicted tremendous growth for these alternative loans. Entering 2019, let’s see how accurate our robust forecasts have been.
 
Four years ago, when Angel Oak pioneered non-QM lending, we could only speculate about the market potential for these new mortgages featuring advanced ability-to repay requirements. Back then, all products without government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) endorsements were stigmatized as just like sub-prime and of no interest to most Originators.
 
Yet, we calculated that millions of creditworthy Americans had been excluded from agency loans, especially from among the 15 million self-employed workers as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Were we right to be confident that demand would grow for these new products? Here is what we forecasted and the results.
 
The market potential for non-QM loans is $100 billion
Non-QM lending was in its infancy in late 2015, when we first made this prediction. Recently, industry expert Tom Millon writing in HousingWire, said they “amount to $50 billion now, or about three percent of the market.” At Angel Oak, in addition to doubling our year-over-year production volume, our affiliates completed eight securitizations valued at approximately $2 billion.
 
Non-QM borrowers will be reliable and responsible
When Angel Oak Mortgage Solutions pioneered non-QM loans, I spent much of my time educating the market about the differences between these new loan products and high-risk sub-prime loans. In fact, non-QM loans have resulted in fewer foreclosures than agency loans. Last year, Wells Fargo Securities announced that 97 percent of non-QM borrowers with loans more than two years old have never missed a payment. Further debunking fears that only high-risk consumers would pursue these loans, studies show that 75 percent of non-QM borrowers benefitted from alternative income documentation while only 25 percent needed relief because of a credit event.
 
Mortgage Brokers will drive the non-QM evolution
In 2016, when industry apathy and skepticism about non-QM was dominant, we anticipated that brokers and their loan officers would drive market growth. We foresaw that the non-QM marketplace would be nuanced and diverse, therefore we built a system that would engage, educate and support those professionals most capable of aligning a growing portfolio of non-QM products with the consumer they serve. This Originator-centric infrastructure has been key to our success.
 
To find out how non-QM can propel your business in 2019, contact your Account Executive at (866) 837-6312 or learn more at AngelOakMS.com/MAP.

Tom Hutchens is Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Angel Oak Mortgage SolutionsTom Hutchens is Executive Vice President, Production at Angel Oak Mortgage Solutions, an Atlanta-based wholesale and correspondent lender leading the non-QM space for four years and licensed in over 35 states. Tom has been in the real estate lending business for nearly 20 years. He may be reached by phone at (855) 539-4910 or e-mail [email protected].

This article originally appeared in the January 2019 print edition of National Mortgage Professional Magazine.


 
About the author
EVP, Production
Published
Feb 23, 2019
More Communication, Earlier, Homebuyers Plead

It takes more than just 'fast and fancy' to please mortgage borrowers, according to the latest J.D. Power study

Nov 12, 2024
NAR's Yun Predicts 6-8 Rate Cuts Over Next Two Years

The NAR Chief Economist offers a blended forecast for 2025 and 2026

Nov 11, 2024
Joint Ventures Amp Up, loanDepot Partners With Smith Douglas Homes

The joint venture, Ridgeland Mortgage, combines new home construction with a mortgage lending platform

Nov 11, 2024
FED Cuts Funds Rate By 25 bps

Federal funds rate lowered to a target range of 4.50%-4.75%.

Nov 07, 2024
UWM Profits Decline Sharply In Q3 2024

UWM CEO Ishbia says the declining fair value of MSRs had an impact

Nov 07, 2024
Early Voters Flag U.S. Economy As Top Issue

More Americans think mortgage rates will fall if Trump wins

Nov 04, 2024