Organizations representing different segments of the mortgage lending industry generally strongly support the overall thrust of the CFPB’s proposed amendments to its 2013 mortgage rules that would enable a limited “right to cure” a “qualified mortgage” that inadvertently falls outside the points-and-fees cap. The 120-day cure period would only be available if the creditor originated the loan as a QM loan in good faith, the loan otherwise meets the QM requirements, and the creditor or assignee maintains and follows policies and procedures for post-consummation review and refunding of overages. “The proposed cure period for points and fees overages would be...
Among the 12 questions that the FHFA asks the public to consider is this: “If the enterprises [Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac] continue to raise g-fees, will overall loan originations decrease?”
One last thought on Mel Watt, FHFA and expanding the credit box: Members of the GOP who were big boosters of the recently departed Ed DeMarco will probably read the g-fee comment notice and have a fit…
Wells Fargo received some attention this week when officials at the bank reiterated that Wells doesn’t offer interest-only home-equity lines of credit to borrowers with less than $1.0 million in assets. While the bank first announced the change in November and has suggested that other lenders should follow suit, plenty of other banks still offer IO HELOCs despite concerns about borrowers’ ability to repay the loans. IO HELOCs are particularly desirable for borrowers as they offer lower payments and more flexibility than HELOCs that require payment of principal and interest or closed-end second liens. Banks have taken a closer look at HELOC originations in recent years as IO HELOCs originated before the financial crisis are set to turn 10-years old, hitting their end-of-draw periods. At that time, HELOC borrowers are required to make principal payments significantly higher than the monthly IO payment previously owed on the loan. Officials at Wells said...
The Independent Community Bankers of America announced this week that its ICBA Mortgage Solutions added jumbo products to its correspondent offerings. ICBA Mortgage supports community banks’ access to the secondary market for servicing-released programs; the correspondent offerings are provided by LenderLive. The new program includes loan balances of up to $2.0 million. ICBA said the program allows for in-house underwriting and has a no-cross-sell guarantee. “We are pleased to offer a product that will meet jumbo customers’ needs while protecting these valuable relationships,” said Robert Kallio, senior vice president of ICBA Mortgage Solutions. He stressed...[Includes two data charts]
Endorsement of FHA-insured reverse mortgages rose in the first quarter of 2014, although lenders say it may just be trailing figures reflecting the lag time between closing and approval for FHA insurance. Home Equity Conversion Mortgage guarantees totaled $4.0 billion in the first quarter, up 16.4 percent from the end of the fourth quarter in 2013 and up 4.1 percent from the same period last year, according to Inside FHA Lending’s analysis of agency data. Home purchase accounted for 92.7 percent of HECM volume but only 14.5 percent were fixed-rate. Initial principal amount at loan origination totaled $2.4 billion. The 16.4 percent increase was more likely due to the fact that a huge number of reverse mortgages closed in November and December were not insured by FHA until January, said Josh Moran, vice president of wholesale lending at Live Well Financial. Some lenders who delayed reporting to ... [1 chart]
FHA lenders are generally supportive of the agency’s proposal to add a new method for evaluating lender performance but may request certain adjustments to ensure they are not at great risk for enforcement action, according to compliance experts. Lenders believe the proposal for an additional performance metric to supplement the lender compare ratio under the Credit Watch Termination Initiative is a positive step toward providing a more well-rounded analysis of a lender’s performance when the FHA is considering further action. “In and of itself, the proposal is not a panacea, but it is certainly a step in the right direction,” said Brian Chappelle, a mortgage industry consultant. The proposal reflects the FHA’s belief that a number of factors influence a lender’s performance, not just its compare ratio. The compare ratio compares a lender’s rate of early defaults and claims to those for ...
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