The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s rural housing program finances only modest homes for low- to moderate-income borrowers, not properties for millionaires as alleged in a news account published by Reuters, according to the program’s top executive. “USDA continues to operate its housing programs under the law and in accordance with the will of Congress,” said Tammye Trevino, administrator of the USDA Rural Housing Programs. Trevino disputed the Reuters report, which claimed that the USDA had guaranteed loans to “dozens of millionaires” by backing at least 500 loans of $500,000 or more, including more than ...

Consumer complaints about mortgage foreclosure relief and debt management services providers were fewer in 2012 than in 2011, according to the Federal Trade Commission. In the FTC’s annual report listing the top consumer complaints for the past year, mortgage foreclosure relief and debt management dropped to #15 (33,791 complaints) in 2012 from #13 (38,140 complaints) in 2011. For the 13th year in a row, identity theft complaints topped the list, representing 18 percent of all consumer complaints. Complaints about real-estate fraud remained at #25, although fewer consumers complained about it last year (8,468) compared to ...

The head of the Mortgage Bankers Association is pleased with the Obama administration's efforts to boost lending to borrowers with weaker credit.

Home prices nationwide jumped in February by the largest margin in seven years, said CoreLogic while the SEC has decided to allow public companies to Twitter and Facebook.

The Conference of State Bank Supervisors is calling upon the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to adopt a petition process to define “rural” counties as the bureau prepares to implement balloon “qualified mortgage” and escrow requirements for rural lenders.

New non-agency MBS settlements and issuance.

Profits on originations by independent mortgage banks and mortgage subsidiaries of chartered banks declined in the fourth quarter of 2012 compared with the previous quarter, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Home loan-related consumer delinquencies, including those having to do with home equity lending, dropped across the board in the fourth quarter, the first time in a year, according to new data released Tuesday by the American Bankers Association.

Twenty state regulators adopted uniform tests for mortgage loan originators on Monday, easing compliance for MLOs doing business in multiple states. State testing has been required since 2009 due to the Secure and Fair Enforcement for Mortgage Licensing Act.

Inside MBS & ABS found big gains in the securitization of most commercial property types, including a huge surge in mortgages on hotels and motels.