Mortgage Banks Report 2020 Financials Shattered Last Years Records

While most of us couldn’t wait for 2020 to be over, it turns
out to have been a superlative year for mortgage originators. The Mortgage
Bankers Association’s (MBA’s) annual Mortgage Bankers Performance Report shows
the profit independent mortgage
banks and mortgage subsidiaries of chartered banks made on each loan they
originated was nearly three times their profit in 2019.

Bankers made an average of $4,202 on each loan originated in
2020, up from $1,470 in 2019. While servicing profits were down, production
profits more than compensated. Ninety-nine percent of the firms posted overall
pre-tax net financial profits in 2020, compared to 92 percent in 2019 and only
69 percent in 2018.

In basis points (bps), the average
production profit (net production income) was 157 bps compared to 58 bps in
2019. In the first half of the year, net production income averaged 131 bps
basis points, then rose to 174 bps points in the second half. Since the
inception of the Annual Performance Report in 2008, net production income by
year has averaged 58 bps ($1,299 per loan).

“2020 was a banner year for the mortgage industry, despite
the COVID-19 global health crisis essentially shutting down the U.S. economy in
March and forcing personnel into remote work environments,” said Marina Walsh,
MBA’s Vice President of Industry Analysis. “A surge in housing and mortgage
demand, record-low mortgage rates, and widening credit spreads translated into
soaring net production profits that reached their highest levels since the
inception of MBA’s annual report in 2008.”

Walsh noted that in an unusual twist, the driver of
production profitability in 2020 was production revenue, led by strong
secondary marketing gains. Historically, production expenses drop when volume
increases, but per-loan production expenses went up in 2020, as companies
offered signing bonuses, incentives, overtime, and other compensation to
address capacity constraints and meet mortgage demand. Furthermore, rising loan
balances meant hefty sales commissions, often earned based on a percentage of
the loan amount.

Total production revenues (fee
income, net secondary marking income and warehouse spread) were 434 bps in
2020, up from 356 bps in 2019. On a per-loan basis, production revenues were
$11,780 per loan in 2020, up from $9,004 per loan in 2019. Total loan production expenses –
commissions, compensation, occupancy, equipment, and other production expenses
and corporate allocations – increased to $7,578 per loan from $7,535 in
2019.  Personnel expenses averaged $5,272 compared to $5,094 per loan
the prior year.

Net servicing income, which includes
net servicing operational income, as well as mortgage servicing right (MSR)
amortization and gains and losses on MSR valuations, was at a loss of $176 per
loan. In 2019 it was $116 per loan in
2019 loss.

“On the servicing side of the business, heavy prepayments,
combined with elevated default and forbearance activity, contributed to a loss
of servicing income. Valuation markdowns on MSRs and servicing amortization
resulted in heavy hits to the overall servicing bottom line, especially for
those servicers that did not hedge their MSRs,” said Walsh.  

Added Walsh, “In early 2021, we are already seeing declines
in pipeline volume – particularly refinance volume – as mortgage rates have
risen in the first quarter. Also, secondary marketing income has dropped from
last year’s highs, as credit spreads have tightened. Mortgage companies that
can adjust quickly to changing market conditions and are able to harness still
robust purchase demand are best poised for a successful 2021.”

Average production volume was $4.5
billion (16,198 loans) per company, up from $2.7 billion (10,411 loans) per
company the prior year. Among repeater companies the average production volume rose
to $4.4 billion (15,669 loans) from $2.5 billion (9,430 loans) in 2019. For the
mortgage industry as whole,…