Why are non-QM lenders going out of business, and what exactly is wrong with them?
There have been claims that Sprout Mortgage has shut down and that its staff have been let off. The organisation is one of the non-QM (qualified mortgage) originators that is growing at the quickest rate.
PIMCO, a global investment management organisation that oversees assets worth over $2 trillion, was one of the companies that supported First Guaranty Mortgage Company, which went bankrupt in June.
To begin, it is essential to have an understanding of non-QM lenders. Traditional mortgage lenders, which include banks as well as huge mortgage companies, have stringent eligibility requirements for potential borrowers to meet.
Before deciding whether or not to approve the loan, they look at a number of factors, including the borrowers’ wages, their present levels of debt, the period of the loan, and the overall profile.
Non-QM lenders come to the aid of borrowers who do not meet the qualification requirements.
The term “subprime lending” should not be confused with “non-QM lending.”
In the second scenario, the loans are made available to persons who have poor credit or a low credit score.
However, non-QM lenders are able to fill the void that traditional mortgage lenders have created.
For example, if you are a retiree or a foreign national, it is possible that a bank will not approve your mortgage application; however, a non-QM lender may.
In addition, a lot of people have a lot of assets but not a lot of cash.
Even if they have amassed a number of assets, they do not have a significant amount of consistent income, which is a factor that financial institutions look at before authorising a mortgage.
Borrowers in this category frequently seek comfort from non-QM lenders.
The First Guaranty Mortgage Company has submitted their application to dissolve their business.
On June 30th, First Guaranty Mortgage Company submitted their bankruptcy petition under Chapter 11.
The following is an excerpt from the document: “The chapter 11 filing was necessitated by significant operating losses and cash flow challenges experienced by the Company due to unforeseen historical adverse market conditions for the mortgage lending industry, including unanticipated market volatility.”
The company cited the difficulties in the market for mortgage refinancing as well as the lacklustre performance of the market for mortgage purchases.
It also highlighted challenges related to affordability as well as the lack of inventory of available homes.
The affordability of housing in the United States is at an all-time low as a result of a rise in home prices over the course of the past two years without a corresponding rise in average pay levels.
Is Sprout Mortgage going out of business?
Despite the fact that the news has been reported by a number of different media outlets, Sprout Mortgage has not yet commented on or officially confirmed the rumours.
During the conference call that took place on July 6, a number of employees were notified that they will be let off. A number of those employees are now commenting on social media about the layoffs.
On the other hand, Sprout Mortgage celebrated the fact that its chief marketing officer, Bev Thorne, had been honoured with the HousingWire 2022 Marketing Leaders award on July 6 on the company’s LinkedIn profile.
Shea Pallante, president of Sprout Mortgage, stated in an interview with HousingWire back in April that the company likes to “focus our efforts on optimising production amid any shifting rate environment.”
We are sure that the non-QM industry, and Sprout in particular, will not only weather the storm but also beat anticipated growth rates.
HousingWire had documented the challenges that non-QM lenders are up against.
What exactly is the problem with the mortgage market in the United States?
After reaching their all-time lows in 2021, mortgage rates in the United States have since rebounded to multi-month highs in response to rate hikes implemented by the Federal Reserve.
The Federal Reserve of the United States has already increased interest rates by 150 basis points in 2022, and the dot plot forecasts that they will increase again by 175 basis points before the year is up.
The refinancing market, which was robust in 2021 as a result of record-low interest rates, has taken a particularly severe hit as a result of the fact that few people are interested in renewing at the current interest rates.
Fears of an economic downturn have contributed to the weakening of the home market in the United States.
In general, the mortgage lending industry has been hit by a perfect storm, and even the larger firms, like Wells Fargo, have been forced to lay off people.
During times of economic crisis such as the one we are presently experiencing, the going gets extremely difficult for lenders that do not meet the criteria for QM status.
