The CFPB and five other federal financial regulatory agencies issued a proposed rule last week that would create exemptions from certain appraisal requirements for a subset of higher-priced mortgage loans.Under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, mortgages are deemed higher-priced if they are secured by a consumer’s home and have interest rates above a certain threshold. The proposed rule would exempt the following three types of HPMLs from Dodd-Frank appraisal requirements: certain loans secured by...

The Mortgage Bankers Association and the Housing Policy Council of the Financial Services Roundtable provided the CFPB with a list of priority implementation items on the ability-to-repay/ “qualified mortgage” rule’s Appendix Q, which provides the standards to make the 43 percent debt-to-income determination required by the general QM standard. “We do not believe rigid adherence to deadlines should result in a rule that is unnecessarily difficult to implement or unduly limits credit for consumers,” the trade group reps...

The CFPB’s final rule to integrate the consumer mortgage disclosures under the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act and the Truth in Lending Act is now projected to be issued sometime in October, a month later than had previously been indicated, according to the bureau’s semi-annual regulatory agenda update. The RESPA/TILA disclosure rule will be the last significant mortgage-related rulemaking as stipulated by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act for the foreseeable future. All of the...

Banking Industry Reps Ask CFPB to Delay Implementing Mortgage Rules. The CFPB should delay the January 2014 effective dates of several pending mortgage rules, a number of banking industry representatives said in a letter to CFPB Director Richard Cordray late last week. “These rules will dramatically refocus the entire lending process,” wrote the American Bankers Association and their state association affiliates. “Every participant in that process, from lenders to borrowers, service providers, appraisers, escrow agents, title...

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac both saw production slow during the second quarter, by 7 percent and 2 percent, respectively.

Wells Fargo and JPM posted strong mortgage results for the second quarter. But what lies ahead for the industry?

The issue of whether mortgage loan officers should be eligible for overtime pay has long been a bone of contention between companies and LOs.

Hedge funds continue to salivate over mortgage servicing rights. Meanwhile, the Hensarling GSE bill goes down like a Led Zeppelin.

Correspondent lenders working to sell originations to Redwood Trust are particularly comfortable with how the jumbo conduit handles appraisals. Redwood offers validation of appraisal values early in the underwriting process, providing lenders with some assurance that disagreements regarding an appraised value won’t prevent a delivery to Redwood. During a recent webinar hosted by Inside Mortgage Finance Publications, Jonathan Groesbeck, a managing director at Redwood, said appraisal validation is one of ...

The Republican leadership of the House Financial Services Committee this week unveiled a comprehensive housing finance reform bill, including a series of proposals to “right size” the FHA, redefine its mission and reestablish it as a stand-alone agency. At the same time, Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Johnson, D-SD, and Ranking Member Mike Crapo, R-ID, announced they have reached a bipartisan agreement on legislation that would ensure the solvency of the FHA. Both lawmakers expect to introduce a bill next week. The House FHA reform measures were introduced in tandem with reform proposals for ...