Mortgage originations for multifamily and commercial real estate in the last quarter of 2014 reached the highest volume achieved since 2007, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). Multifamily financing, in particular, has returned to levels last witnessed at the peak of the market.
All major investor groups increased their activity in the quarter, according to MBA. Between the third and fourth quarters of 2013, loans for GSEs jumped by 48 percent, commercial bank portfolio financing spiked by 44 percent, CMBS financing increased by 35 percent, and loans for life insurance companies rose by 8 percent.