Do intermediaries improve GSE lending? Evidence from proprietary GSE data

Abstract

We analyze the trade-offs of having intermediaries originate government-sponsored enterprise (GSE) mortgages using proprietary GSE data. We first find evidence of lenders pricing for observable and unobservable default risk independently of the GSEs. We then develop and estimate a model of competitive lending in which lenders have skin-in-the-game and conduct additional screening beyond the GSEs’ criteria. Lenders reduce costs via screening but also charge markups. On net, interest rates are higher compared to a counterfactual effectively without intermediaries. In an extension, the observed differences between banks and nonbanks are more consistent with differences in their skin-in-the-game rather than screening quality.