Fannie and Freddie: REO inventory declined in Q1, Down 30% Year-over-year

Fannie and Freddie reported results this week. Here is some information on Real Estate Owned (REOs).

From Fannie Mae:

We continue to experience disproportionately higher credit losses and serious delinquency rates from single-family loans originated in 2005 through 2008 than from loans originated in other years. Single-family loans originated in 2005 through 2008 constituted 12% of our single-family book of business as of March 31, 2015 but constituted 59% of our seriously delinquent loans as of March 31, 2015 and drove 67% of our credit losses in the first quarter of 2015.
emphasis added

From Freddie Mac:

Our single-family REO acquisitions in the first quarter of 2015 were highest in Florida, Illinois, Ohio, and Michigan, which collectively represented 38% of total single-family REO acquisitions during that period, based on the number of properties, and comprised 38% of our total single-family REO property inventory at March 31, 2015.

Our REO acquisition activity is disproportionately high for certain types of loans, including loans with certain higher-risk characteristics. For example, the percentage of interest-only and Alt-A loans in our single-family credit guarantee portfolio, based on UPB, was approximately 2% and 3%, respectively, at March 31, 2015. The percentage of our REO acquisitions in the first quarter of 2015 that had been financed by either of these loan types represented approximately 20% of our total REO acquisitions, based on loan amount prior to acquisition. In addition, loans from our 2005-2008 Legacy single-family book comprised approximately 71% of our REO acquisition activity during the first quarter of 2015.

Fannie and Freddie are still working through the backlog of loans made during the housing bubble, mostly in judicial foreclosure states.

Click on graph for larger image.

Here is a graph of Fannie and Freddie Real Estate Owned (REO).

REO inventory decreased in Q1 for both Fannie and Freddie, and combined inventory is down 30% year-over-year.   For Freddie, this is the lowest level of REO since Q2 2008.  For Fannie, this is the lowest level since Q3 2009.

Short term delinquencies are at normal levels, but there are still a fairly large number of properties in the foreclosure process with long time lines in judicial foreclosure states.