Freddie Mac’s Portfolio Falls Back into Decline

The latest volume summary from ""Freddie Mac"":http://www.freddiemac.com/ shows business continues to defy any sort of trend this year.

After picking up slightly in June, the enterprise's mortgage portfolio shrank once again in July at a compound rate of 1.7 percent. Year-to-date, the portfolio's average monthly growth rate is -1.2 percent.

In 2013's first seven months, business has declined in four and grown in three. As of the end of July, the portfolio's ending balance was $1.94 trillion.

Purchases and issuances dropped to their lowest point so far this year, totaling $42.3 billion. Year-to-date, 2013 purchases and issuances have totaled $318.3 billion.

At the same time, Freddie Mac's portfolio of mortgage-related securities and other guarantees continued to grow, expanding at an annual rate of 1.1 percent.

Single-family refinance-loan purchase and guarantee volume was $26.7 billion in July, representing 69 percent of total single-family mortgage portfolio purchases or issuances. Relief refinance mortgages made up 32 percent of the GSE's total single-family refinance volume in July (based on unpaid principal balance).

The single-family seriously delinquent rate dropped further, falling to 2.70 percent from June's 2.79 percent. Multifamily delinquency declined to a rate of 0.06 percent.

Freddie Mac reported 6,354 loan modifications in July, bringing the year-to-date total to 46,244.