Another mortgage insurer stepping back from high-LTV loans

Interesting nugget out of PMI Mortgage Insurance in an 8-K filing just now ...

"As disclosed in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2007, our U.S. mortgage insurer, PMI Mortgage Insurance Co. ("PMI") initiated pricing and underwriting guideline changes in 2007 with respect to, among other loan products, loans with loan to value ratios in excess of 97.00% ("Above 97s"). These pricing and underwriting guideline changes were based upon PMI's review of its portfolio and in response to substantially higher demand for mortgage insurance coverage of Above 97s. As a result of these changes, the percentage of Above 97s in PMI's new insurance written declined in the fourth quarter of 2007 to 21%, compared to approximately 32% of PMI's primary new insurance written for the full year of 2007.

"Effective March 1, 2008, PMI will institute additional underwriting guideline changes which will, among other things, preclude future mortgage insurance coverage by PMI through its primary flow channel of Above 97s."

This fits with the MGIC announcement the other day.