RealEstateEconomyWatch.com

Rising rates caused residential loan originations took a hit in the third quarter, and fourth quarter volume is poised for a further decline. But the top three lenders and servicers maintained their standings.

Mortgage Daily’s estimate of total U.S. originations from all lenders during the third quarter is $441 billion. Business was down around 19.8% from the second quarter thanks to increasing rates that drove down refinances. Compared to the third-quarter 2012, originations subsided around 21.1%.

The estimates were based on data collected by Mortgage Daily. In addition to a quarterly lender survey, the numbers were obtained from earnings reports, public filings and announcements.

With a third-quarter market share of around 18.1%, Wells Fargo maintained its standing as the biggest residential lender during the third quarter.

The second-biggest lender was JPMorgan Chase, where market share was around 9.3 percent.

Originations By Lender (in billions)

Compared to the second quarter, business was up 20.4% at Walter Investment Management — more than any other company.

Nationstar Mortgage followed with a 12.7% gain in the third quarter.

Stonegate Mortgage had the third-biggest increase: 12.2%. In addition, thanks to its planned acquisition of Nationstar’s wholesale division, Stonegate is about the only lender that is poised for further short-term growth.

With a 62.3% decline between the second and third quarters, Provident Funding had the biggest drop.

Among lenders to report third-quarter 2012 originations, Nationstar’s 344.4% increase was the largest year-over-year gain.

Stonegate’s volume was up 112.7% from a year earlier.

Based on the U.S. Mortgage Market Index from LoanSifter and Mortgage Daily, fourth-quarter mortgage originations from all U.S. lenders are likely to fall around 21%, putting fourth-quarter volume at roughly$350 billion.

Approximately 18.8% of total outstandings was serviced by Wells Fargo, making it also the biggest mortgage servicer in the country.

Servicing Portfolios By Lender
(includes investment loans)