Freddie Mac on Track For 25% More Loans This Year, Most of Them Refis

By: Jann Swanson •

Freddie Mac reported this week that its total mortgage portfolio increased at an annualized rate of 25.7 percent in October compared to a 17.5 percent gain in September. The portfolio balance at the end of the period was $2.625 trillion compared to $2.579 trillion the prior month and $2.301 trillion a year earlier. The growth rate for the year to date is 15.2 percent.

Purchases and Issuances totaled $137.285 billion and Sales were ($1.706) billion. The September numbers were $114.386 billion and ($3.064) billion, respectively.

Single-family refinance loan purchase and guarantee volume was $89.7 billion in October compared to $70.9  billion in September, representing a 71 percent share of total single-family mortgage portfolio purchases and issuances compared to 69 percent the previous month.

Purchases in Freddie Mac's Mortgage Related Investments Portfolio totaled $109.487 billion for the month compared to $93.820 billion during the prior period. Liquidations were ($2.045) billion and ($2.347) billion for October and September respectively and Sales for the two periods were ($114.161) and ($89.529) billion. The ending balance in the portfolio was $191.457 billion, compared to $198.176 billion in September and $216.813 billion in October 2019.

The Mortgage Related Investments portfolio declined by 40.7 percent compared to growth of 11.4 percent a month earlier. The annualized growth in October 2019 was a negative 25.9 percent.

The ending balance of the Mortgage Related Investments Portfolio was composed of $78.959 billion in Mortgage Related Securities, Mortgage Loans valued at $107.934 billion, Non-Agency, non-Freddie Mac Mortgage-Related Securities at $1.455 billion; and Agency non-Freddie Mac Mortgage related securities of $3.109 billion. Mortgage related securities and other guarantee commitments increased at an annualized rate of 26.1 percent in October compared to 18.6 percent in September.  

Freddie Mac's single-family delinquency rate decreased from 3.04 percent in September to 2.89 percent in October. The multi-family delinquency rate increased 1 basis point to .14 percent.    

Freddie Mac said the measure of its exposure to changes in portfolio value averaged $10 million in October compared to $103 million in September.