Loan production by Irvine’s ECC Capital Corp. shot up 62% in the third quarter to $4.4 billion versus a year earlier, the subprime lender said.
Volume was up 40% from the second quarter’s total of $3.2 billion.
The real estate investment trust does not provide monthly volume totals.
Irvine-based New Century Financial Corp., another subprime real estate investment trust, also announced a rise in third quarter loan volume earlier this month. The company saw volume dip 16% in September from August, as compared to equal monthly totals last year.
ECC last month lowered its quarterly dividend from 22 cents a share to 18 cents as profits get harder to come by for mortgage lenders.
Subprime lenders, who make loans to people with imperfect credit, are making less money on their loans amid intense competition and rising interest rates.
