One of the key documents VA lenders require veteran borrowers to submit is the certificate of eligibility (COE). A VA loan application will not move forward without a COE, a requirement for any active-duty servicemember or veteran seeking to take advantage of the VA’s home-loan guaranty program. The COE verifies to the lender a loan applicant’s eligibility for a VA loan. The evidence a lender might require depends on the nature of the applicant’s eligibility. Veterans and current or former National Guardsmen or reservists who have been called to active duty must submit DD Form 214. The form would show the character of service and the reason for separation from the service. Active-duty servicemembers must submit a current statement of service signed by a superior, the unit commander or the adjutant, higher headquarters or the personnel office. The statement must contain the ...

A number of mortgage trade groups this week called upon the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to extend its current “diagnostic” approach to enforcing the agency’s Truth in Lending Act/Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act Integrated Disclosure (TRID) rule. The groups were responding to the CFPB’s request for public comments on its proposed TRID clarifying rulemaking, which was issued at the end of July. It’s...

With Hispanics predicted to make up more than half of all new households formed between 2020 and 2030, their relatively low homeownership rate should be a growing concern in the mortgage market, according to the Urban Institute. In 2013, just 45 percent of Hispanic households owned their homes compared with 71 percent of whites, said UI researchers Jim Parrott and Yamillet Payano. “If one were to hold those rates constant as Hispanics become an increasing percentage of the pool of homebuyers, the homeownership rate would drop precipitously, causing considerable economic upheaval,” they said. Credit score is...

Based on mortgage production figures reported by the five largest banks with substantial involvement in the residential home loan market, third-quarter originations likely rose about 10 percent from the previous period. Five bank mortgage lenders – Wells Fargo, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, U.S. Bank and Citigroup – reported a combined $135.5 billion in home loan production during the third quarter. That was up a respectable 9.0 percent from the second quarter. But during the second quarter, their combined production jumped 30.0 percent from the first three months of the year. However, the five major banks have...[Includes one data table]

If rates rise enough, will refis fall by 50 percent?

At Sept. 30, U.S. Bank held $56.2 billion of first and second liens in portfolio, a 7.7 percent improvement from the same period a year earlier.

Meanwhile, loan brokers tended to originate larger loans, averaging $264,646 for purchase mortgages…

“Community bank regulators have taken a diagnostic approach with TRID compliance, which has been positive,” said ICBA’s Ron Haynie.

Fannie Mae’s Connecticut Avenue Securities program and Freddie Mac’s Structured Agency Credit Risk program have accounted for the bulk of GSE activity since the CRT initiative was launched three years ago.

The comment period on the amendments ended Tuesday night. The CFPB will issue a final rule sometime next year.