Two FHA lenders in Texas have agreed to pay a total of $469,419 in civil money penalties to resolve government allegations they charged bogus fees to borrowers to inflate the purchase amount of newly built manufactured housing. Among 11 alleged violations of FHA rules, the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Mortgagee Review Board accused American Home Free Mortgage of Prosper, TX, of artificially increasing mortgage costs by an average of $12,000 per loan through improper fees. The fees were paid allegedly to a company owned and operated by AHFM’s sales manager. In addition, HUD alleged there were multiple violations of quality and annual certification requirements. As part of the settlement agreement, without admitting to any fault or liability, AHFM agreed to pay a $169,419 fine and to the permanent withdrawal of its FHA approval. In June 2014, the MRB also heard a ...

The FHA will not issue a new case number for any FHA-to-FHA refinance if the current mortgage has a repair or rehabilitation escrow account in FHA Connection. The change, which is one of several updates to FHA Single Family Policy Handbook 4000.1, applies only to FHA streamline refis. It aims to ensure that escrow funds of the mortgage being refinanced are properly applied as well as conform to system requirements. The updated sections become effective on Sept. 14, 2015. Another change clarifies that the payoff statement for the mortgage being refinanced is the only document required when calculating the maximum mortgage amount for simple refi transactions. In addition, guidance for loan-to-value limits for cash-out refis has been updated to clarify that the 85 percent LTV restriction applies only to cash-out refis. HUD also noted that appraisers have flexibility in regards to when inspections should ...

FHA Begins Registration of Lenders to Prepare their Transition to the EAD Portal. Lender registration for the transition phase of the new Electronic Appraisal Delivery portal began on Aug. 18. Lenders may select any of the seven onboarding phases, which FHA has established to ensure that lenders have more time to work within the EAD portal to ensure that their systems, data flow and operational process meet portal requirements before the June 27, 2016, mandatory-use date. Although lenders may enter at any phase they choose, the FHA strongly encourages lenders to register for the earliest onboarding phase, and to do it as soon as possible. That would give them more time to get ready for the full transition, the agency said. The first phase begins on Oct. 15, 2015, with additional phases beginning each month and running through the first half of 2016. Information on the onboarding phases as well as ...

The overall delinquency rate for FHA loans dropped in the second quarter of 2015, although late payments were up in the 30-day and 60-day categories on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to results of the Mortgage Bankers Association’s latest national delinquency survey. The FHA reported slightly different trends. The serious delinquency rate in June was down 30 basis points from March’s 6.42 percent on an unadjusted basis. Taking into account seasonal factors, the drop was just 2 bps. MBA data showed...

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have been gaining purchase-mortgage market share from the FHA in recent months, according to the Campbell/Inside Mortgage Finance HousingPulse Tracking Survey. The shifts appear to be part of seasonal home-buying patterns rather than direct competition for mortgages with low downpayments. “From our statistics, we see...

The private mortgage insurance industry had its best quarter since the housing market crash during the second quarter of 2015, according to a new Inside Mortgage Finance ranking and analysis. Private MIs provided insurance on $60.51 billion of new single-family mortgages during the second quarter, a strong 33.7 percent increase over the first three months of the year. It was the biggest three-month output for the industry since the first quarter of 2008. The sharp increase in purchase-mortgage lending during the second quarter helped float...[Includes three data tables]

The volume of new mortgage originations for condominiums and co-operatives was up nicely at Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and FHA during the second quarter, with particular strength among first-time homebuyers and purchase mortgages, a new analysis by Inside Mortgage Finance has found. The two government-sponsored enterprises securitized $20.69 billion of condo loans during the second quarter, a 27.4 percent increase from the first three months of the year. There was a slightly bigger gain in condo purchase-money loans (up 30.9 percent) than condo refi loans (up 24.1 percent). It was...[Includes one data table]

M&T Bank is attempting to reach a settlement with the Department of Justice to resolve an investigation into the bank’s origination of FHA loans and sales of conventional-conforming mortgages to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The bank disclosed the investigation in its quarterly filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, noting similar ongoing investigations at other financial institutions. A bank spokesman declined to comment beyond what was disclosed in the SEC filing but noted that the government agencies are conducting one investigation. On the FHA side, DOJ and the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of the Inspector General are investigating...

The delinquency rate on mortgages rose in the second quarter of 2015, according to the Inside Mortgage Finance Large Servicer Delinquency Index. Overall, delinquencies remained below levels seen a year ago, though the Mortgage Bankers Association said FHA performance has declined. The delinquency rate on the IMF index was 5.85 percent at the end of the second quarter, up from 5.75 percent the previous quarter and down from 6.74 percent at the midway point in 2014. The share of mortgages severely delinquent as well as those in foreclosure declined compared with the first quarter of 2015, while the share of new delinquencies and loans 90-days past due increased. FHA mortgages accounted...[Includes one data table]

Sellers saw a modest increase in VA loans delivered to Ginnie Mae in the second quarter of 2015, most of which were streamline refinance loans, but FHA definitely took the cake, according to an Inside FHA/VA Lending analysis of agency data. Approximately $39.1 billion in VA purchase and refi loans were placed in Ginnie Mae pools in the second quarter, up 11.8 percent from the prior quarter. Of that amount, $20.9 billion were VA refinances, up 2.1 percent from the first quarter. Some 52 percent of the VA refis were originated in-house while correspondents accounted for 30.7 percent. Brokers brought in 17.3 percent of the securitized VA refi loans. VA purchase loans underlie an estimated $18.2 billion in Ginnie mortgage-backed securities in the second quarter, 48.4 percent of them retail. That number was up 25.5 percent from the previous quarter. VA loan correspondents were busy as well, accounting for ... [ 2 charts ]