Although some non-agency players may see Freddie’s plan to purchase closed-end seconds as competition, many lenders see a way to create more liquidity in the sector.
Will allowing lenders to omit one of the three credit scores from the underwriting process reduce costs for borrowers or ensure that some unqualified borrowers inadvertently get a loan they can’t afford?
FHFA and HUD have teamed up to initiate a formal request for reconsideration of value for borrowers and sellers who believe their appraised value is undocumented or biased.
In an effort to reduce closing costs for low-income and first-time homebuyers, Freddie will now allow lenders to replace title insurance with attorney opinion letters in all but one state.
Smaller lenders, with comparatively smaller declines in volume, saw their market share rise in the first quarter at the expense of large banks and large nonbanks. (Includes two data tables.)
By focusing on refis, FHFA will be able to assess the ability of its title insurance waiver pilot to reduce closing costs with a smaller group of lower-risk loans.
Freddie’s head of single-family acquisitions said programs, such as DPA One, BorrowSmart and HeritageOne, have helped the GSE lower closing costs and expand access to mortgage credit.
Critics argue that the new title insurance waiver pilot would only apply to wealthy homeowners. However, one tech title company said it could lower closing costs for most buyers under 120% AMI.
Lenders argue that the cumulative cost of verification of income and employment, especially the electronic kind, is unreasonable and should be scrutinized by FHFA.
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