The Expert Podcast

• Many mortgage companies are shutting down due to a sharp decline in new mortgages.
• With rising interest rates, refinances have plummeted, and the volume of purchase mortgages is also dropping significantly.
• Mortgage originators need high volumes to stay in business, but many are now filing for bankruptcy and laying off staff, leading to a ripple effect on employees and vendors.

• Mortgage originators, like First Guarantee Mortgage Corporation, rely on warehouse lenders to fund loans.
• The mortgage originator does not directly write the check for the loan but has the warehouse lender fund it (e.g., $400,000 for a mortgage).
• The warehouse lender profits from this transaction by funding loans at a discount.

• When an originator closes down, they often leave warehouse lenders unpaid, which can amount to tens or hundreds of millions of dollars in losses.
• Additionally, some recourse agreements mean the originator must buy back loans if certain conditions aren’t met or if a loan defaults on its first payment.

• Warehouse lenders are now more cautious, which is affecting the ability of mortgage originators to get loans approved and funded.
• Some warehouse lenders are becoming undercapitalized, unable to fund new loans, and this could lead to the evaporation of the warehouse lending market.
• This scenario places further pressure on the real estate market, particularly for individuals who do not qualify for federal guaranteed loans.

• With warehouse lenders pulling back, mortgage originations are becoming harder to secure, especially outside of federally guaranteed loans.
• This could have significant consequences for the real estate market and limit home purchasing options for many.

• Share your experience: Are you seeing these issues in your market? Are brokers or agents struggling to get loans funded due to warehouse lenders pulling back?
• Comment below with your thoughts and any information you have from the mortgage industry for future discussions.