Morning Report: Small business confidence soars

Vital Statistics:

			Last	Change
S&P futures			2833	7.5
Eurostoxx index			385.12	0.21
Oil (WTI)			67.99	0.79
10 Year Government Bond Yield				2.88%
30 Year fixed rate mortgage				4.58%

Stocks are higher this morning after the Turkish Lira rallied 6%. Bonds and MBS are flat. 

Import prices were flat in July but were up just under 5% on a YOY basis. This was pretty much all driven by oil prices which are inherently volatile and self-correcting. 

Small business optimism is near record highs according to the NFIB. Availability of workers remains a big concern, and we are seeing record levels of compensation increases. Note that many of these comp increases are planned, so there will be a 9 month lag before it shows up in the government data. Credit availability is a non-problem. The biggest headache for small business is availability / quality of labor, not the cost of labor. I don't know that we have cost-push labor inflation quite yet, but if that is the case, then it won't be good for mortgage rates as it will primarily affect the long end of the curve. 

HUD is electing to discontinue the Obama Administration's controversial interpretation of the AFFH rule from the 60s, which means it no longer will be suing towns to force them to change their zoning codes to allow multi-family housing. HUD will focus on eliminating regulatory impediments to building more housing, and will tie grants to measures which increase building. In other words, The Obama Admin used a stick approach, while the Trump Admin will use a carrot approach. 

Home prices rose 0.7% MOM and 6.8% YOY in June according to CoreLogic. They are forecast to rise 5% over the next year. Sales in the red-hot markets are down double digits as affordability issues and lack of inventory crimp activity. 

The Despot reported better than expected earnings as homeowners choose to fix up their existing place instead of trying to move in a tight real estate market. Better weather helped the company rebound from their sales miss in the first quarter. 

Morning Report: Housing starts disappoint again

Vital Statistics:

			Last	Change
S&P futures			2705	-3.5
Eurostoxx index			393.19	0.82
Oil (WTI)			70.93	-0.38
10 Year Government Bond Yield				3.06%
30 Year fixed rate mortgage				4.65%

Stocks are lower this morning after North Korea pushed back on the proposal to end their nuke program. Bonds and MBS are higher after the the 10 year decisively pushed through the 3% level yesterday. 

The 10 year hit 3.10% yesterday on no real news. If the inflation numbers aren't all that bad, why are rates increasing? Supply. The government will need to issue about $650 billion in Treasuries this year compared to $420 billion last year. Note that one of the downsides of protectionism will be seen here - when the US buys imports from China, they usually take Treasuries in return. Less trade means less demand for paper. 

Rising rates may present problems for active money managers. The average tenure is 8 years, so this is the first tightening cycle they have ever seen. For the past decade, cash and short term debt have not been any sort of competition for stocks and long term bonds. Note that the 1 year Treasury finally passed the dividend yield on the S&P 500. Stocks and bonds are going to see money managers allocate more to short term debt. 

Despite rising rates, financial conditions continue to ease. The Chicago Fed National Financial Conditions Index is back to pre-crisis levels. Note that doesn't necessarily mean we are set up for another Great Recession - the index can stay at these levels for a long time, and we don't have a residential real estate bubble. That said, this index can be one of those canaries in a coal mine for investors - at least selling when it goes from negative to positive. 

Mortgage Applications fell 2.7% last week as purchases fell 2% and refis fell 4%. The refi index is at the lowest level in almost 10 years, and the refi share of mortgage origination is at 36%. The typical conforming rate fell a basis point to 4.76%. 

April Housing starts came in at 1.29 million, down 4% MOM but up 11% YOY. The Street was looking for 1.32 million. Building Permits 1.35 million which was right in line with estimates. Multi-family was the weak spot. Note that March's numbers were unusually strong (relative to recent history), so April was a bit of a give-back. 

Industrial production rose 0.7% last month while manufacturing production rose 0.5%. Capacity Utilization rose to 78%. 

New York State is suing HUD to force them to continue to use the Obama-era standard of enforcing AFFH. HUD delayed the rule after numerous local governments were unable to implement policies in time.  Andrew Cuomo's statement: “As a former HUD Secretary, it is unconscionable to me that the agency entrusted to protect against housing discrimination is abdicating its responsibility, and New York will not stand by and allow the federal government to undo decades of progress in housing rights,” Cuomo said in a statement. “The right to rent or buy housing free from discrimination is fundamental under the law, and we must do everything in our power to protect those rights and fight segregation in our communities.”  Of course overt housing discrimination hasn't existed for half a century, but that isn't what this is about.  The issue is zoning ordinances and multi-fam construction. Expect to see more of this sort of thing in blue states as the housing shortage gets worse. 

Morning Report: Job Openings equal the number of unemployed

Vital Statistics:

			Last	Change
S&P futures			2680	9.75
Eurostoxx index			390.81	0.81
Oil (WTI)			70.9	1.84
10 Year Government Bond Yield				3.00%
30 Year fixed rate mortgage				4.63%

Stocks are higher this morning after the US pulled out of the Iran deal. Bonds and MBS are down, with the 10 year trading over 3% again. 

The Iran deal was never ratified by the Senate, so it never reached the level of "treaty." It was basically a deal with the Obama Admin and Iran. 

Oil had a volatile day yesterday and is rallying again. China is the biggest customer of Iranian oil, so in theory it shouldn't affect the US all that much, but WTI will follow Brent on the relative value trade. Note that a sustained oil price over $70 is estimated to be about a 0.7% drag on GDP growth. 

Inflation at the wholesale level moderated last month, with the producer price index rising 0.1% MOM and 2.6% YOY. Ex-food and energy, the index rose 0.1% / 2.3% and the core rate rose 0.1% / 2.5%. 

Job openings hit 6.6 million last month, which is a new record for the index, which goes back to early 2000. The quits rate increased to 2.3%. The quits rate has been stuck in a 2.2% - 2.3% range for what seems like forever. Fun fact: The number of job openings has hit the number of unemployed for the first time. 

The labor shortage is particularly acute in construction, which is part of the reason why housing starts have been short of demand. This shortage has extended to home remodeling as well. 

While everyone seems to focus on the CPI / PPI / PCE inflation measures and imagines that a single point estimate accurately reflects the cost of living, it doesn't. First the relative weights of different goods and services differ. For example, PCE and CPI will weight healthcare differently, as well as owner-equivalent rent. The St. Louis Fed notes that the differences in inflation between regions of the US can be substantial as well. 

Mortgage Applications fell 0.4% last week as purchases fell 0.2% and refis fell 1%. Tough times for the smaller originators. 

Despite the slim pickings out there, mortgage credit has contracted a bit this year. Overall, it was a mixed bag, as government credit contracted on less streamlines while conventional increased as jumbos rose. Government credit has been tightening since early 2017, when the government began to crack down on serial VA IRRRL shops. 

How have things changed at the CFPB or the (BCFP) under Mick Mulvaney? Despite the ululating in the press, not that much. One of the panelists warned industry lawyers not to advise their clients that the CFPB is relaxing its enforcement activities. So far, the biggest change we have seen is that the name has been changed back to the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, which was the way it was written into Dodd-Frank. 

Fair Housing groups are suing HUD over Ben Carson's delay of the Obama-era re-interpretation of AFFH - affirmatively furthering fair housing. Their complaint is that HUD didn't provide advance notice before suspending the rule,. which would have required communities to "examine and address barriers to racial integration and to draft plans to desegregate their communities." HUD delayed the compliance deadline until 2024. In practice, this means that HUD wants communities to change or eliminate their zoning ordinances to include more multi-family housing in wealthier neighborhoods. 

Morning Report: strong economic numbers

Vital Statistics:

	Last	Change
S&P Futures	2379.3	0.3
Eurostoxx Index	378.1	0.4
Oil (WTI)	49.0	0.2
US dollar index	90.6
10 Year Govt Bond Yield	2.52%
Current Coupon Fannie Mae TBA	101.53
Current Coupon Ginnie Mae TBA	102.87
30 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage	4.27

Markets are flat this morning on no real news. Bonds and MBS are flat as well.

Industrial production was flat in February, while manufacturing production increased 0.5%. Capacity Utilization fell to 75.4%. The low industrial production number was largely driven by weather and lower-than-expected utility expenditures. The manufacturing production number was actually strong and the Jan-Feb numbers were the strongest back-to-back reading in 3 years. Capacity Utilization is still relatively low compared to historical numbers, and is one reason why inflation remains under control.

Consumer sentiment increased to 97.6 from 97.2 in February, while the Index of Leading Economic Indicators ticked up to 0.6%.

Trump's new budget involves cuts to HUD. Here is a list of the specific cuts. Initially it appears that rental support and mortgage origination are untouched, and other areas like community development block grants will take the hit. Community Development Block Grants are known primarily for Meals on Wheels, but that is not really what they do. CDBGs are mainly Federal grants to local governments to build parks or other nice-to-haves. Unsurprisingly, the biggest beneficiaries are the counties surrounding DC.

Refinances dropped to 43% of all originations in February, according to Ellie Mae. Refis have been falling due to the change in VA IRRL securitization treatment and rising rates. The refis that still make sense however, are refinancing old ARMs into 30 year fixed rate mortgages, as LIBOR (which is what the interest rates is pegged to) is definitely going up, while longer term rates may or may not increase. The other trade is refinancing out of FHA loans from a few years ago, where the borrower has enough equity to qualify for a conforming loan with no MI. Time to close dropped to 46 days, which was down 5 days from January, but flat YOY.

UBS is out with a call saying the bond market sell-off is almost over. They are making the argument that the yield curve typically flattens in a tightening cycle, and the the long end adjusts first then stagnates. I made a similar argument here.

Morning Report: Home equity rises

Vital Statistics:

	Last	Change
S&P Futures	2363.0	-1.0
Eurostoxx Index	372.1	-0.5
Oil (WTI)	49.6	-0.7
US dollar index	92.0
10 Year Govt Bond Yield	2.58%
Current Coupon Fannie Mae TBA	101.438
Current Coupon Ginnie Mae TBA	102.784
30 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage	4.19

Stocks are lower this morning as oil continues to fall. Bonds and MBS are down small. 

Initial Jobless Claims ticked up to 243k last week. The 4 week moving average is 237k. Consumer Comfort improved. 

There were 37,000 announced job cuts in February, according to outplacement firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas. This is a decline of 19% from January and a decrease of 40% from February last year. The job cuts are dominated by the retail sector as department stores had a lousy holiday season. In fact, the job cuts in retail are almost 6x the next biggest sector (energy). Of course some of this is seasonal, but there continue to be problems with the shopping mall sector or retail. The financial sector also reported about 3,300 job cuts as higher interest rates hurt some in the mortgage space and automation / falling fees reduce headcount in banking and asset management. On the other side of the coin, companies announced they were hiring over 162k - and 100k of them were by Amazon.com. It seems strange to think that for every job lost in bricks and mortar retail, 3 were created for online shopping, but there you go. 

Import prices rose 0.2% in February and are up 4.6% YOY, however when you strip out petroleum, they fell 0.1% and are up 0.5% YOY. While the Fed is concerned about potential inflation, we have yet to see any hard evidence of it yet. 

Rising home prices helped reduce negative equity by over $2 billion in the fourth quarter, according to CoreLogic. About 3.2 million homes (or 6.2%) have negative equity. A total of 7.7 million have under 20% equity. These loans become refi candidates as home price rise. Cashout refis driven by increasing home prices will undoubtedly become a larger component of the refi universe as rates continue to rise. 

Under Donald Trump's proposed budget HUD will get about 14% less than last year. It looks like most of the cuts will fall on community devlopment block grants and public housing maintenance. It doesn't appear (at least initially) that the mortgage side of things is affected at all. 

Morning Report: Ben Carson travels to Capitol Hill

Vital Statistics:

	Last	Change
S&P Futures	2266.0	2.5
Eurostoxx Index	364.4	1.9
Oil (WTI)	52.7	-0.3
US dollar index	92.0	-0.1
10 Year Govt Bond Yield	2.37%
Current Coupon Fannie Mae TBA	103
Current Coupon Ginnie Mae TBA	104
30 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage	4.1

Markets are higher this morning as bank earnings come in. Bonds and MBS are down.

Inflation at the wholesale level remains under the Fed's target rate, according to the Producer Price Index. The PPI was up 0.4% MOM and 1.2% YOY. Ex-food and energy, it was up 0.3% MOM and 1.4% YOY. 

Retail sales increased 0.6% in December, however if you strip out autos and gasoline, they were flat. The control group rose by 0.2%, which missed expectations. For all the post-election increase in confidence, it didn't translate into spending. 

Business Inventories rose sharply (increasing 0.7%) in November, while sales increased 0.1%. The inventory to sales ratio came in at 1.38x, which is an improvement, but is still elevated. That said, inventory build is not the driver of the business cycle that it was 20 or 30 years ago. 

Consumer sentiment slipped slightly to 98.1 from 98.6. This is the preliminary January reading. 

We are getting bank earnings this morning. Wells missed estimates as mortgage revenue fell 15%. Issues with hedges drove down servicing revenue 73%. JP Morgan beat estimates, while Bank of America missed. 

Ben Carson testified in front of the Senate yesterday. Here are his prepared remarks. He spent the a lot of time discussing the state of government housing and the role of housing to help the poor move up the economic ladder. He addressed regulations in several instances. First, he took aim at local zoning regulations that inhibit multifamily housing. Second, he mentioned that regulations have added 24% to the cost of a new house, and finally he discussed them with respect to credit. 

Here are his comments with respect to origination: "Loans are now bifurcated: the well-off have their pick of loans and lenders while many others without solid credit or stable incomes are locked out – one of the reasons the economic recovery was slower than many would have liked. Homeownership rates have fallen on a year-over-year basis in every quarter for the last 10 years, and a surge in renting has dropped the homeownership rate to a 50-year low. Banks are loath to participate in low-down payment programs through FHA for fear of getting sued if the borrowers default. (emphasis mine) So we need to make sure HUD and FHA are fulfilling their missions to help people build up an asset, like a home, which will help them climb up the rungs of the economic ladder."

On the subject of private capital, he supported more private capital in the mortgage market to displace government capital (which is a completely non-controversial sentiment). He also thinks that a government backstop is not necessary to keep a 30 year fixed rate mortgage, however he supports government involvement to keep it. Note that while the typical American considers a 30 year fixed rate mortgage to be their birthright, they are largely a US phenomenon. Everyone else has some sort of adjustable rate. Of course you could still have a 30 year fixed rate mortgage without the government backstop, however the rate will reflect the added risk. 

Finally, he was asked about the recent decrease in FHA annual MIP and only said he would look at it. So, it looks like we aren't going to see a wholesale change from the Obama administration, although GNMA may become a little more forgiving, at least at the margin. For the mortgage origination business, HUD isn't the big driver - it is Treasury via the GSEs and the CFPB with enforcement. 

NAR has a good wrap-up of the testimony. Here are the objections from the left.

Overall, Trump's nominees have come across as relatively mainstream, so much so that Dick Durban (D-IL) commented on it. Trump's response was that he wanted them to be themselves and to say what they thought, not what he thinks. Interestingly, the biggest difference between Trump's cabinet and Obama's is his lack of lawyers. Obama's cabinet was dominated by them. 

Builders are encouraged that a new administration will ease the shortage of buildable land caused by increased environmental regulations. They may be overoptimistic about what can be done, however. Many of these laws are local, which the Federal Government can't do much about. Changing regulations takes a long time, with comment periods, and environmental groups have lawsuits at the ready if they sense the administration is no longer enforcing existing laws. 

Finally, perspective is everything:

Morning Report: China cuts rates

Vital Statistics:

	Last	Change	Percent
S&P Futures	2069.3	16.2	0.79%
Eurostoxx Index	3439.4	86.3	2.57%
Oil (WTI)	45.22	-0.2	-0.35%
LIBOR	0.316	-0.004	-1.25%
US Dollar Index (DXY)	96.71	0.335	0.35%
10 Year Govt Bond Yield	2.09%	0.06%
Current Coupon Ginnie Mae TBA	105
Current Coupon Fannie Mae TBA	104.5
BankRate 30 Year Fixed Rate Mortgage	3.78

Stocks are higher this morning after China cut interest rates. Bonds and MBS are down. 

Definitely a risk-on feel to the markets after yesterday's torrid rally. China's easing and yesterday's comments from the ECB regarding further QE are putting green on the screen. All of this stimulus is going to make it harder for the Fed to raise rates.  Economists are beginning to warn of a global recession.

China's official growth rate is just shy of the government's 7% goal. Nobody actually believes that number however - estimates by foreign economists are closer to 3%.

The Markit US Manufacturing PMI rose in October.

The House Financial Services Committee spent some time yesterday looking at the future of HUD. The hearing looked at how HUD could help people escape poverty instead of simply pushing people to build more affordable housing. HUD has been very aggressive in suing local communities to change their zoning laws. 

Morning Report: Don't believe the Chinese stock market indices

Stocks are lower this morning as the sell-off continues in Asia. Bonds and MBS are up small.

Mortgage Applications increased 4.6% last week as purchases increased 6.6% and refis rose 2.7%. Good numbers considering last week was only 4 days.

We will get the FOMC minutes later this afternoon. The items of interest will be the big downward revision in GDP forecasts, and of course any references to Greece. The China situation really was not ripe at that point, so I don't expect any mention there.

The EU put Greece on the clock, giving them until Saturday to come up with an agreement to stay in the EU. Europe has “a Grexit scenario prepared in detail,” European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said last night. Risk arbitrageurs have a term for this: showing them the downside. That is exactly what the EU is doing. The Greek ATMs are limiting withdrawals, however the Greeks have been taking out money for over 6 months, so most of them have an adequate cushion of cash at least for the time being. It won't last forever, and the EU is pushing the Greeks to make the necessary reforms to stay in the EU. While we haven't hit Venezuelan type shortages of goods, they are probably a month away.

Fun Chinese stock market fact: Last night the Shanghai composite fell 6%. Between the 1,331 stocks that are suspended, and the 747 shares that fell their daily 10% limit, approximately 72% of the index is non-tradeable. The A share index (which only Chinese can invest in) is down 33% since mid-June. The B share index (which foreigners can trade) is down around 43%. So when you hear someone point out that we are really only back to March levels, point out the index level is meaningless right now because 72% of the stocks aren't trading. Oh, and the Chinese government ordered anyone with a 5% position in any company to not sell for 6 months. This is going to be a titanic battle of wills between Mr. Market and Communist Government.

Don't forget, any economic pain in China due to the sell-off is going to be felt in commodity prices, which are already reflecting the sell-off. That will be deflationary, which the Fed fears more than inflation. IMO, unless something changes dramatically, the Fed isn't moving in September. If they truly mean it when they say they are being data-driven, the data is screaming: wait to see what happens first. Even if they do raise the Fed Funds rate a symbolic 25 basis points, just to get off the zero bound, I don't see how the long end of the curve moves all that much, if at all. Which means mortgage rates are probably not going to be affected.

The Obama administration has ordered HUD to re-integrate neighborhoods, using Federal funding as a carrot. LOs start thinking about FHA opportunities in areas that haven't historically been jumbo territory. That said, I don't know how many affluent areas get HUD grants in the first place so not sure how effective that will be. But, it might be an opportunity.

Morning Report - Government subsidies and the housing bubble

Vital Statistics:

	Last	Change	Percent
S&P Futures	1392.3	-5.1	-0.36%
Eurostoxx Index	2526.2	-17.3	-0.68%
Oil (WTI)	86.22	-1.0	-1.10%
LIBOR	0.311	-0.001	-0.32%
US Dollar Index (DXY)	80.53	0.125	0.16%
10 Year Govt Bond Yield	1.61%	-0.02%
RPX Composite Real Estate Index	191.3	0.5

Markets are lower this morning on no real news.  Expect stocks and bonds to be choppy as they react to every new clue about the fiscal cliff.  Harry Reid said he was "disappointed" in how the talks were going yesterday. This one will probably go down to the wire. Bonds and MBS are up.

Bob Schiller told CNBC that the possibility of the US curbing mortgage interest deductions could prompt a sea change from buying houses to renting. He is cautious on house prices:  "Persistently high unemployment and low growth in wages are reasons to be skeptical of this recovery. People that haven't recovered their economic situation yet and we have threats from abroad.  I still think it's a risky market."

To Schiller's point about people not yet recovering from their economic situation, the NY Fed has a report out on the pace of consumer de-leveraging. Aggregate consumer debt fell by .7% YOY to 11.31 trillion, which is down 11% from the peak in Q308. Still, the excesses of the housing bubble have yet to be worked off.  That said, debt service payments are at multi-decade lows, due to lower interest rates.  If you are wondering why the Fed is keeping interest rates so low for so long, this is why.  Inflation is a debtor's best friend, and that is why the Fed is so sanguine about inflation.

Chart:  Debt balance and composition:

For what it is worth, I do not share Schiller's caution.  I am bullish on residential real estate and think it will be the best performing asset in the US next year.

The Washington Post picked up on the Brown-Forman special dividend.  Expect companies with excess cash to distribute it to shareholders before taxes go up next year.

Investor's Business Daily has a good write-up on how HUD and the GSEs helped inflate the housing bubble through affordable housing goals.  They include a very interesting chart showing homeownership rates and different policy actions:  Given that the interpretation of what went wrong has fallen completely along partisan lines, this piece of the puzzle has yet to be officially examined. And explains why Franklin Raines (who ran Fannie Mae in the early 00s and instituted the American Dream Commitment) has escaped prosecution despite presiding over an accounting fraud that rivaled Enron.

Morning Report Samuelson vs Krugman

Vital Statistics:

	Last	Change	Percent
S&P Futures	1387.4	1.1	0.08%
Eurostoxx Index	2513.7	4.1	0.16%
Oil (WTI)	87.83	1.1	1.24%
LIBOR	0.312	0.001	0.32%
US Dollar Index (DXY)	81.03	0.070	0.09%
10 Year Govt Bond Yield	1.67%	0.00%
RPX Composite Real Estate Index	191	-0.4

Markets are flattish this morning after a earning miss from Deere and Greek debt negotiation efforts hit a snag.  Expect low volume today as investors pack up and head to Grandma's. Bonds are and MBS are down small.

Initial Jobless Claims came in at 410k.  Like last week, this is a Sandy-affected number and should be viewed accordingly. Mortgage applications fell 2.2%. University of Michigan Consumer Confidence dropped, and the index of leading economic indicators increased .2%.  Rising real estate prices are the driver of this.

Here are the highlights of the HUD report to Congress.  Aside from telling us what we already know (FHA is in deep trouble), there are also changes to the mortgage insurance program.  Insurance rates on FHA loans are going up, and borrowers will soon be charged mortgage insurance for the entire life of the loan, not just they typical 10-year period  L.Os take note - here is a good argument to get those borrowers off the fence - start the process now and get in under with wire.

Looks like the Feds are closing in on Stevie Cohen.  His healthcare PM allegedly made a quarter of a billion shorting Elan and Wyeth.  SAC Capital pays the highest commissions on the Street, by far.  They aren't doing it out of the kindness of their hearts. Of course his investors don't care - they know he is trading on inside information, but they are protected because they are limited partners.

Two arguments about the proper size of government and its effect on prosperity.

The negotiation between the baker's union and Hostess didn't last long.  Hostess is headed for liquidation.

Have a happy Thanksgiving.

Morning Report Paul Krugman mixes Twinkies and Marginal Tax Rates

Vital Statistics:

	Last	Change	Percent
S&P Futures	1368.0	8.2	0.60%
Eurostoxx Index	2461.2	33.8	1.39%
Oil (WTI)	88	1.1	1.24%
LIBOR	0.312	0.000	0.00%
US Dollar Index (DXY)	81.06	-0.193	-0.24%
10 Year Govt Bond Yield	1.61%	0.03%
RPX Composite Real Estate Index	191.4	-0.4

Stocks are higher this morning on optimism the fiscal cliff can be averted.  The new buzzword in Washington is "constructive" The pattern lately has been a strong opening, and then a late-day sell-off. This is a holiday-shortened week, so you can expect lower volumes and not much activity.  We have a sparse economic calendar as well.  Bonds and MBS are down.

Even if we reach a deal with the fiscal cliff, taxes are going up next year.  Hurricane Sandy has been expected to lop a point or so off of 4Q GDP.  Between the two, we are probably looking at a flat-to slight GDP growth in Q113.  To add insult to injury, businesses are halting capital expenditures. While "constructive" is the operative word for Washington, "Uncertainty' is the buzzword for business. While it is certainly possible that a deal in Washington will remove the uncertainty, it feels like the business will simply find something else to fret about. The stock market is telling you that as well.  FWIW, Elmer Fudd is sanguine about the whole thing, saying a recession is a small price to pay to get our fiscal house in order.

HUD has announced some changes to help FHA get through its rough patch - the punch line is that FHA loans are about to get more expensive.  Fun fact:  FHA loans were about 2% of the market pre-boom.  Now they are 40%. The biggest changes involving borrowers will be an increase in the insurance premium, and removing the insurance cancellation program.

Redwood sold another $300 million of high quality jumbos last week, their sixth this year.  Two Harbors apparently is close to a securitization as well.  In the past two years, Redwood has securitized $900 million of jumbo mortgages.  To put that in perspective, in 2005 and 2006, private label issuance was $1.2 trillion. That said, the private label securitization market is coming back, slowly but surely.

Leave it to Paul Krugman to link Twinkies and marginal tax rates.